---

---

The Supreme Court of India has strongly criticized the Allahabad High Court for adjourning a bail petition an astonishing 43 times in the case of Ramnath Mishra v. Central Bureau of Investigation. This repeated postponement led to the accused spending more than three and a half years in custody, which the apex court deemed unacceptable for a matter concerning personal liberty.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and Justice NV Anjaria underscored the imperative for constitutional courts to act with urgency in bail matters, stating, “Time and again we have observed that the matters relating to personal liberty should be entertained by the Courts with utmost speed… In the matters of personal liberty, the High Courts are not expected to keep the matter pending for such a long time and do nothing, except for adjourning from time to time”.

The Supreme Court granted bail to the accused, highlighting that such delay runs contrary to the constitutional guarantee of personal liberty. The court further noted that this was not an isolated incident; in May 2025, bail was granted to a co-accused in the same case after his application faced similar delays, being adjourned 27 times.

In both instances, the Supreme Court reaffirmed that High Courts must not keep bail applications pending without meaningful progress, warning that such practices erode fundamental freedoms and the credibility of the justice system.

With both accused now released on bail, the Supreme Court directed the trial court to continue proceedings in accordance with the law. The judgment sends a clear message endorsing swift justice in cases involving personal liberty and warning against bureaucratic inaction that jeopardizes the rights of individuals in custody.