#prolonged pre-trial detention

Allahabad HC rules that over three years of incarceration without trial progression-compounded by hostile prosecution witnesses-violates the right to liberty under Article 21, mandating bail. The judgment underscores that mere gravity of charges cannot justify indefinite detention absent evidence tampering risks.

Chhattisgarh High Court reduces sentences to time already served for two accused convicted under IPC Sections 467, 468, 471, and 420/34, emphasizing the absence of financial gain, no prior criminal record, and the undue hardship of prolonged litigation. The ruling underscores judicial discretion in mitigating sentences for first-time offenders where retributive justice yields to rehabilitative considerations.