Supreme Court rebukes Maharashtra over stalled trials and bail stance
The Supreme Court has called out Maharashtra for dragging its feet on criminal trials while still pushing hard against bail requests.
The justices highlighted that a fair and speedy trial is a basic right, pointing to the case of Kelvin Chindozie Okoro, a foreign national stuck in jail since 2022 for kidnapping and murder, but whose trial hasn't even wrapped up after four years.
Okoro case only 2 witnesses heard
In Okoro's case, only two out of 34 witnesses have been heard so far, and he missed being brought to court on over one-half of his scheduled dates.
The judges didn't mince words: the bench disapproved of a "negligent attitude."
While Maharashtra admitted things were messy before and claims they're improving now, the court made it clear: if you're going to fight bail so strongly, you need to move just as fast on the actual trials.
The court also warned that if delays continue, stricter action is coming, and reminded everyone this isn't just about one state; timely justice matters nationwide.