Justice Adrift: The Supreme Court's Alarming Indictment of a 4-Year Delay

Imagine the scene: the highest court in the land, typically a bastion of measured pronouncements, is not just concerned, but genuinely “shocked.” And frankly, it’s not hard to see why. The news that a Maharashtra court has, for four long years, failed to even frame charges against an individual languishing in custody—well, it’s truly astounding, isn't it?

The specifics of this particular case, you see, involve a man named Mohammad Shahnawaz. He's been behind bars, his freedom denied, for a staggering four years now. And the cruel twist? Charges against him remain un-framed. It’s a situation that prompted none other than Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta, presiding over a Supreme Court bench, to label it—and I quote—a “mockery of justice.” Strong words, certainly, but perhaps entirely warranted given the circumstances.

Consequently, and with an air of undeniable urgency, the apex court has now demanded a comprehensive report. Not just from the trial court, mind you, which ought to have progressed this matter with some semblance of pace, but also from the police. They want to understand, in excruciating detail, the exact reasons behind this egregious, four-year procedural vacuum. What on earth has been happening? Or rather, what hasn't been happening?

Because, in truth, beyond the plight of one individual, this incident throws a harsh, unflattering light on the very bedrock of our criminal justice system. The right to a speedy trial? It’s not just some legal nicety; it's a fundamental promise, a core guarantee to every citizen. To have someone’s life suspended, their liberty curtailed, without even the formal contours of a case being established—well, it speaks volumes, doesn't it, about where we stand on upholding those promises?

The Bombay High Court, it's worth noting, had previously denied Shahnawaz bail in connection with an FIR lodged back in 2020. But for the Supreme Court to intervene with such direct, almost visceral, criticism suggests something deeper, something profoundly unsettling about the pace—or lack thereof—of justice in certain corners of our vast legal landscape. For once, the phrase 'justice delayed is justice denied' feels less like a cliché and more like a chilling, undeniable reality.