New Delhi : This is no Banana Republic where justice is delivered in nine days in a criminal case. A sessions judge of Mehsana in Gujarat wanted to show off how a fast-track can work. It, however, did not please the Supreme Court. It was aghast to take serious note of the way the judge had disposed of a dowry death case so fast, making mockery of the justice.
The case relates to kerosene poured on Renukaben, wife of Mahesh Bhail Patel, in Panchot village of Mehsana district, resulting in her death on December 16, 1997. The husband worked in Africa and had come on holiday. He had one girl child from the victim.
The charges were framed seven years after the tragic incident. The sessions judge let off her father-in-law and mother-in-law and the husband, who was serving in Africa convicted under Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code to the period already undergone that was just three days.
Prosecution had produced list of 12 witnesses on January 1, 2005, three days after the charges were framed, but produced only five on January 7 and examined while the remaining were dropped. The same day the accused were
examined, arguments heard and the judgment delivered.
The Gujarat High Court reversed the ruling and sentenced all three to rigorous imprisonment (RI) of seven years. The Supreme Court Bench of Justices M Y Eqbal and Abhay Manohar Sapre on Friday dismissed the appeal and cancelled the bail bonds of all three, upholding the High Court judgment.
The Apex Court observed that “prime duty of the trial court to appreciate the evidence for search of truth is abandoned and in a hurry to dispose of the case or for some other reason the sessions judge had disposed of the trial and acquitted the accused.
