The Supreme Court of India has taken a serious view of an extraordinary 23-year delay in a dowry death case, which effectively froze the trial proceedings. The apex court has demanded the complete record and order sheets from the Rajasthan High Court to investigate the reasons behind this prolonged legal stagnation.
Bench Expresses Grave Concern Over Two-Decade Delay
A division bench comprising Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice KV Vishwanathan passed this significant order on Thursday. The bench was hearing a Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by Vijay Kumar and others. The petitioners were challenging the High Court's order from August 1, 2025, which had dismissed their criminal revision petition and upheld the framing of charges against them.
While the Supreme Court ultimately dismissed the SLP on its merits, the judges were deeply troubled by the timeline. The original criminal revision petition was filed in 2003 to challenge the framing of charges. Astonishingly, this petition remained pending for over two decades, which meant the actual trial in a serious criminal case could not proceed.
Case Details and Apex Court's Directives
The case stems from the tragic death of Deepa, who was married in November 2000 and died at her parents' home on December 31, 2001. An FIR alleging dowry harassment and poisoning was registered at the Nasirabad police station in Ajmer district in January 2002. The charges involved serious offences under IPC sections 498A (marital cruelty), 304-B (dowry death), and 406 (criminal breach of trust).
The Supreme Court has listed the matter for further hearing next week and has indicated it will closely monitor the issue of the delay. The bench has asked Additional Advocate General Shiv Mangal Sharma to assist the court. He must explain what steps the Rajasthan state government took over the past 20 years to ensure the listing and disposal of the revision petition, especially since a stay was operating in such a serious case.
Wider Implications and Data Collection Ordered
In a move with far-reaching consequences, the Supreme Court also directed the Registrar General of the Rajasthan High Court to submit a detailed report. This report must include:
- How many times the revision petition was listed.
- Whether it appeared on the cause list.
- How often it was not taken up despite being listed.
Going beyond this single case, the bench issued a sweeping order to the registrar generals of all High Courts in India. They have been instructed to collect and furnish data on cases involving serious offences like murder, rape, and dowry death where trial proceedings were stayed by higher courts and the matters remained pending for long periods.
This intervention by the Supreme Court highlights a critical systemic issue within the Indian judiciary, where stays granted by higher courts can lead to indefinite delays in justice, especially in heinous crimes affecting victims and their families.
