All Accused Are Equal For Purpose Of Facing Trial: Sc

The Supreme Court on Friday said that no distinction can be made among accused persons for the purpose of putting the trial in criminal cases involving influential persons on the fast track. "We cannot define who is an influential person. We cannot say that a person belongs to a particular class," a Bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan said during the hearing of a petition seeking laying down of guidelines for speedy probe and trial in cases involving important public functionaries. Instead reasons have to be found out for delay into the investigation and trial of the criminal cases, the Bench said. "You have to find out the reasons for delay which can be during the probe and trial of the cases. You have to find out whether the delay has been in investigation or in the courts," said the Bench, also comprising Justice P Sathasivam. The court adjourned the hearing taking on record the suggestions provided by advocate Prashant Bhushan on the issue asking the Centre to respond within four weeks. The PIL filed in 2004 by advocate V K Ohri had cited the instance of Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren, who allegedly avoided the law in a criminal case registered against him in 1975 and held important public positions including the office of a Union Minister. Soren, who on Thursday lost the by-election, was acquitted by the Jharkhand High Court as all the witnesses in the three-decade-old case had died, the advocate said. Among the 11-point suggestions, the advocate had said that the trial of all the "influential persons" should be monitored by the designated judge of the concerned High Court and a cell in the High Court should collect information relating to the cases involving influential persons in trial courts.

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