The Supreme Court underscored the paramount importance of Article 21, stating that it is the essence of the Constitution as it safeguards the liberty of citizens. This observation came following a case where the Bombay High Court granted bail to Amol Vithal Vahile, a prime murder suspect, after a directive from the apex court on January 29.
The bench, comprising Justices B R Gavai and Sandeep Mehta, expressed concern over the delay in adjudicating matters related to liberty. It noted instances where the high court failed to promptly decide bail and anticipatory bail applications, thereby impinging on individuals’ fundamental rights.
In one such case, an anticipatory bail application remained undecided for over four years, prompting the Supreme Court to intervene. The bench urged the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court to ensure expeditious resolution of bail-related matters and directed the Registrar of the apex court to convey this directive to their counterpart in the high court.
In the case of Vahile, who was accused in the murder of a corporator in Maharashtra, the Supreme Court criticized the high court’s decision to redirect him to the trial court for bail after seven years of incarceration. It emphasized that such delays in deciding bail petitions contravene the principles of personal liberty enshrined in various judicial pronouncements.
The Supreme Court directed the high court to reconsider Vahile’s bail plea, considering his prolonged detention. Vahile had been arrested in 2015 for his alleged involvement in the murder of Avinash Tekawade, a corporator of Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation.
Overall, the Supreme Court’s stance underscores the importance of expeditious adjudication in safeguarding individuals’ fundamental rights, particularly their right to liberty as enshrined in Article 21 of the Constitution.
