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Supreme Court flags 40-year trial delay, finds case papers lying with it since 2013
The Supreme Court revealed that a four-decade criminal trial has effectively stalled since 2013 when the original records were requisitioned and not returned. A bench hearing an appeal from a lawyer’s contempt conviction highlighted systemic delays and ordered the records restored and the case to be expeditiously disposed of.
Why It Matters
The delay exposes potential institutional inefficiencies and raises concerns about conflicting outcomes between contempt and criminal proceedings if not resolved promptly.
Timeline
10 Events
May 3, 2026: Conviction set aside due to linked proceedings
May 3, 2026
The Court also set aside the 2008 contempt conviction and sentence, noting that the contempt and criminal proceedings are intrinsically linked and could yield incongruous results if the criminal case ends differently.
May 3, 2026: Records verification and expeditious disposal ordered
May 3, 2026
In its May 3, 2026 order, the Supreme Court directed its registry to verify the status of the records and ensure their immediate return to the trial court, and ordered the criminal case to be taken up and disposed of expeditiously once the records are restored.
Docket re-listed in March 2026
March 2026
Docket was listed again in March 2026 after a nearly nine-year lapse.
February 2026 SC bench seeks explanation
February 2026
In February 2026, a Supreme Court bench sought a detailed explanation from the registrar general of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on why the 1983 trial remained inconclusive despite the 2001 directive.
Docket not listed from August 2017
August 2017
Docket was not listed for nearly nine years from August 2017 due to an inadvertent failure by court staff to place it before the judge.
Original records requisitioned by Supreme Court in July 2013
July 2013
Original trial court records were requisitioned by the Supreme Court in July 2013 and were never returned, halting the trial.
2008 contempt conviction by High Court
2008
Punjab and Haryana High Court, in 2008, convicted the lawyer in contempt even though the criminal trial was pending.
SC directs six-month completion
2001
Supreme Court directed that proceedings in the contempt and criminal cases should be completed within six months.
High Court defers contempt until criminal trial concluded
1983
Punjab and Haryana High Court decided in 1983 to defer contempt proceedings until the criminal trial concluded.
Criminal trial initiated
1983
The criminal trial arising from tampering with land records was initiated in 1983.