Indian top court admits delay in hundreds of trials in IIOJK
New Delhi: The Indian Supreme Court has expressed serious concern over the prolonged delay in trials in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, revealing that more than 350 cases have been pending for over five years.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the court noted that 351 sessions trials involving around 585 accused persons remain pending in the territory, with nearly 250 cases still at the stage of recording witnesses’ statements.
A bench of Justice J B Pardiwala and Justice K V Viswanathan described the situation as “extremely disappointing,” observing that under-trial prisoners cannot be left to languish in jail indefinitely and are entitled to a speedy trial under the law.
The court questioned the failure of prosecuting agencies to produce witnesses on time and asked the IIOJK administration to present a clear plan to expedite the disposal of the long-pending cases.
Observers say the remarks expose serious flaws in the justice system in the occupied territory, where many detainees remain behind bars for years without their trials being concluded.
