SC 'concerned' over slow pace of trial: Murder case accused in Maharashtra jail for over four years; only two of 45 witnesses examined so far

The Supreme Court on Friday strongly disapproved of the slow pace of a murder trial in Maharashtra, noting that an accused in the case has remained in jail for over four years with only two out of 45 witnesses examined.

A vacation bench of justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Sheel Nagu observed that while the state aggressively moves to oppose bail applications in such cases, it completely falls short when fulfilling its duty to run the trial efficiently. "It is found that the state is totally lacking in that regard," it remarked.

The court made the observation during the hearing of a bail plea filed by Kelvin Chindozie Okoro, a foreign national who is a co-accused in a 2022 case involving allegations of kidnapping, murder and rioting. He was arrested on May 7, 2022, and has remained in jail since then.


In 2024, his first bail plea was rejected by the Bombay High Court. In March this year, he petitioned the high court again for bail, contending that there has been a change in circumstances and prolonged delays in the trial. The high court said it could not reconsider the matter on merits and rejected his second bail plea. However, it ordered the trial court to expedite the hearing, given the delays noticed in the matter.

Okoro then petitioned SC. The top court said on Friday that it was not inclined to grant Okoro bail since "no case for bail has been made out at this stage". However, justice Amanullah remarked that the "glaring gap" between incarceration and judicial progress was an issue that had been "bothering the court for quite some time".