Vaibhav Singh v. State of Uttar Pradesh - Bail- Under Trial - Speedy Trial Right
Howsoever grave the crime may be, but if the accused is denied his right of speedy trial and is languishing in jail for years together and for no fault on his part, he cannot be kept in jail for indefinite period.
Bail - Howsoever grave the crime may be, but if the accused is denied his right of speedy trial and is languishing in jail for years together and for no fault on his part, he cannot be kept in jail for indefinite period. [Context: Granting bail to the under-trial prisoner, SC observed: High Court ought to have considered is the fact that the petitioner is languishing in jail as an under- trial prisoner past nine years. ]
Case Info
Extracted Case Information
Case name and neutral citation:Vaibhav Singh v. State of Uttar Pradesh, SLP (Crl.) No. 7416 of 2026 (order dated 29-04-2026).(A separate neutral citation is not mentioned in the order text provided.)
Coram:Hon’ble Mr. Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Hon’ble Mr. Justice Ujjal Bhuyan.
Judgment / order date:29 April 2026.
Caselaws and citations referred:X v. State of Rajasthan & Anr., 2024 INSC 909.
Statutes / laws referred:Sections 147, 148, 149, 120-B and 302 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860; Article 21 of the Constitution of India (right to speedy trial).
Brief summary (three sentences)
The petitioner, an undertrial in a murder case (Case Crime No. 116 of 2017, P.S. Cantt., Gorakhpur), had been in judicial custody since 7 March 2017 and was denied regular bail by the Allahabad High Court. The Supreme Court found the High Court’s reliance on X v. State of Rajasthan & Anr., 2024 INSC 909, to refuse bail to be a misapplication of that decision, emphasizing instead the petitioner’s prolonged incarceration of almost nine years and his fundamental right to a speedy trial under Article 21. Considering this continued detention as an infringement of Article 21, the Court ordered that the petitioner be released on bail forthwith, subject to conditions to be imposed by the trial court.