Riots: Supreme Court frowns upon lengthy bail hearings

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, July 22

The Supreme Court on Thursday frowned upon lengthy hearings on bail applications, saying it was troubled at the fact that bail matters were being heard at length.

While hearing a petition filed by the Delhi Police against the June 15 Delhi High Court verdict granting bail to three student leaders booked under stringent anti-terror law — Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in connection with Delhi riots, a Bench led by Justice SK Kaul made it clear that it won’t devote more than two hours to the matter.

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“This is something which is troubling us many times. Every bail matter is argued at length before the trial courts, high courts and this court…The provisions of the Act are not to be debated in a bail matter,” it told Solicitor General Tushar Mehta.

It posted the matter for hearing after four weeks after senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the students, said, “We don’t have wherewithal to print 20,000 pages. Please allow us to file it in pen drive.”

The Bench sought if the police were aggrieved by grant of bail or interpretation of UAPA provisions and observations in the verdicts.