BIPIN SHANTILAL PANCHAL Vs. STATE OF GUJARAT

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This is yet another opportunity to inform the trial Courts that despite the procedural trammels and vocational constraints we have reached a stage when no effort shall be spared to speed up trials in the Criminal Courts. It causes anguish to us that in spite of the exhortations made by this Court and a few High Courts, time and again, some of the trial Courts exhibit stark insensitivity to the need for swift action, even in cases where the accused are languishing in prisons for long years as undertrials only on account of the slackness, if not inertia, in accelerating the process during trial stage.

(2.) We shall narrate, in a brief manner, as to what happened thus far in the present case though this seems to be one of the rare cases in which an undertrial prisoner has been facing a record time for reaching culmination of the trial proceedings.

(3.) The genesis of the proceedings is interception of a consignment at the Air Warehouse, Mumbai, which was meant for export to Nairobi. The consignment, when opened, was found containing a very huge quantity of Mandrex tablets (Methaqualone). Respondent (Dr. Bipin S. Panchal) was arrested on 8-11-1993 in connection with the aforesaid seizure of narcotic or psychotropic substance. It led to the unearthing of a further huge quantity of Mandrex tablets which, added with the earlier interception, is quantified at about 2000 kgs. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Ahmedabad filed a complaint against certain persons including respondent Bipin S. Panchal, for various offences under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (N.D.P.S.) Act. The said case is being tried before the Court of Additional City Sessions Judge, Ahmedabad.