New Delhi: The Supreme Court has acquitted a man who spent 22 years in prison after finding that serious judicial lapses led to his wrongful conviction and prolonged incarceration.
The Court held that the trial court failed to properly assess the evidence, while the Odisha High Court compounded the injustice by dismissing the man’s appeal on procedural grounds without examining its merits.
The convict had already spent 12 years behind bars when he approached the High Court. However, his appeal was rejected because it was filed 3,157 days late, resulting in an additional decade of imprisonment before the Supreme Court intervened.
A bench comprising Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K. Vinod Chandran described the case as a stark reminder that access to justice remains out of reach for many from marginalised communities, particularly those already serving prison sentences.
Expressing concern over the High Court’s approach, the bench observed that the appeal had been filed through jail authorities and therefore warranted a practical and compassionate consideration. Instead of dismissing it on technical grounds, the Court said, the delay should have been condoned to allow the appeal to be heard on its merits.
The judges noted that the man had ultimately spent 22 years in prison—12 years before his appeal was rejected and another 10 years before the Supreme Court corrected the error.
Emphasising the judiciary’s responsibility towards vulnerable litigants, the bench said courts must adopt not merely a liberal but a proactive approach in condoning delays, particularly in criminal appeals filed by convicts. It observed that when all three pillars of democracy strive to expand access to legal aid for the poor, the judiciary must ensure that procedural technicalities do not become barriers to justice.
The ruling serves as a strong reaffirmation that substantive justice must take precedence over rigid procedural requirements, especially where an individual’s liberty is at stake.
