THE SUPREME COURT YESTERDAY expressed concern over the prolonged pendency of trial proceedings against advocate Surendra Gadling in the 2016 Surjagarh iron ore mine arson case and asked the Maharashtra government whether a person could be kept in custody as an undertrial for several years.
A bench of Justices J.K. Maheshwari and Vijay Bishnoi questioned Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju, appearing for Maharashtra, on the reasons for the delay. “Why is the trial not going on, and for how many years can a person be kept in custody without trial?” the bench asked.
Raju said that the delay was not due to the prosecution but because of Gadling himself, stating that he had filed a discharge application but refused to argue it unless allowed to be physically present in Court. Physical production was not possible due to security concerns, he added.
The Court adjourned the matter and directed the state to file a statement explaining the reasons for the delay, how the prosecution intended to proceed, and the time it would take to conclude the trial.
