The Bombay High Court has granted bail to 30-year-old auto-rickshaw driver Deepak More, who had been behind bars for nearly five years in connection with a 2020 murder case. The court’s decision came after it observed a highly unusual and unreasonable delay in the trial proceedings. Despite 95 hearings being scheduled since his arrest, the charges against him had still not been formally framed, leaving the case in a prolonged state of uncertainty. Justice Dr. Neela Gokhale, while passing the order, remarked that such a delay defeats the very purpose of justice, since the trial process cannot even begin until charges are framed, which officially informs the accused of the crimes they are being tried for.
The case dates back to November 15, 2020, when a confrontation broke out between More and a local man named Sanjay, who was allegedly involved in a long-standing affair with More’s wife. According to reports, an argument escalated during the encounter, and in a sudden outburst of anger, More struck Sanjay on the head with a stone, leading to his death. Sanjay’s sister lodged a complaint on the same day, and More was taken into custody almost immediately. Since then, he remained incarcerated while waiting for his trial to commence, despite repeated listings before the court.
During the bail hearing, More’s counsel argued that the accused had already undergone severe punishment by spending five years in jail without a fair trial. The lawyer highlighted that More had no prior criminal record and stressed that the incident was not premeditated but rather an impulsive act arising out of personal provocation. The prosecution, however, opposed the plea, claiming that More had been regularly produced before the court via video conferencing and that his custody was necessary given the seriousness of the crime.
The High Court, after carefully examining the circumstances, concluded that the episode appeared spontaneous and lacked evidence of a planned conspiracy. Justice Gokhale emphasized that the prolonged delay in framing charges was itself a violation of the accused’s right to a speedy trial, as guaranteed under the Constitution. Considering that More had already spent an excessive period in custody without conviction and that he was unlikely to commit any further crime, the court granted him bail.
As part of the bail conditions, More was asked to furnish a bond of ₹50,000. He is also required to report to the Dombivli police station once every two weeks and is barred from entering Kalyan Taluka until all the prosecution witnesses in the case are examined. By imposing these safeguards, the court aimed to ensure both fairness to the accused and the integrity of the trial process. This order not only provided relief to More after years of confinement but also drew attention to the larger issue of judicial delays that often leave undertrials languishing in prisons without timely hearings.
