'In Matters Of Personal Liberty, Every Single Day Counts' : Supreme Court Asks HC To Decide Regular Bail Plea Soon

Emphasising that in matters concerning personal liberty, every single day of delay counts, the Supreme Court on Friday (May 17) expressed disappointment at the Delhi High Court keeping the bail application of a petitioner pending for nearly 11 months.

A bench comprising Justices BR Gavai and Sandeep Mehta was hearing a petition filed by Amandeep Singh Dhall, an accused in the Delhi liquor policy case, aggrieved by the High Court adjourning his regular bail application to July 2024, after the posting on several occasions.

Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the petitioner, submitted that the matter was adjourned after 40 postings.

"I do not want anything…the Judge has adjourned this matter in July. Just have them decide the matter in May..this cannot be that after 40 hearings you do not decide the regular bail," he submitted.

The bench disposed of the matter requesting the High Court to decide the bail application in May itself before the HC closing for the summer vacations.

"In matters concerning the liberty of citizens, every single day counts…keeping the matter pending for regular bail for almost 11 months deprives the petitioner of his valuable right of liberty…we request the HC to decode the bail application prior to vacation," the bench observed in the order.

Case : Amandeep Singh Dhall v CBI SLP (Crl) 6973/2024

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