The Karnataka High Court on Monday criticised the “culture of repeated adjournments” in criminal trials, observing that a 2014 case involving the alleged sexual assault of a six-year-old girl at a Bengaluru school was still pending after 12 years.
Describing the delay as “shocking”, Justice M Nagaprasanna noted in a July 3 order that Section 35(2) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act requires trials under the law to be completed within one year of a court taking cognisance of the offence.
The judge said that the victim could not be compelled to endlessly relive the trauma “because the criminal justice system has surrendered to the culture of adjournments”.
“Every unnecessary adjournment compounds the original injury and converts the process itself into an instrument of oppression,” the court said. “The Supreme Court has repeatedly deprecated this unhealthy culture of mechanical adjournments and has warned that such acts of adjournments ultimately become a silent accomplice to miscarriage of justice.”
It directed a special court to to complete the trial within eight weeks.
The case pertains from the alleged sexual assault of the six-year-old girl at a Bengaluru school in 2014. The chargesheet was filed under sections of the Indian Penal Code and the POCSO Act pertaining to...
Read more
-
New trend goes viral in India, now you can get boyfriend on rent! Know how the ‘Rent a Boyfriend’ concept works
-
Is Your Kitchen Monsoon-Ready? Food Authority Shares Easy Food Safety Tips
-
After all, what is a dream catcher, where did it come from in India and at what place is it auspicious?
-
What happens to the body if you accidentally drink acid or toilet cleaner? Know the measures to be adopted immediately
-
FIFA World Cup 2026: Messi or Mbappe? Exciting battle of Golden Boot, this is how the winner is decided if there are equal number of goals.
