#Prosecutorial Delay

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has ruled that Section 311 CrPC cannot be used as a backdoor to remedy gross prosecutorial neglect after a 15-year delay in adding witnesses. This reinforces that procedural fairness trumps convenience, setting a critical precedent for accused persons facing belated, unexplained evidentiary expansions in long-pending criminal trials.

Madhya Pradesh High Court ruled that summoning witnesses under Section 311 CrPC after 10 years of litigation prejudices the accused and constitutes judicial abuse. The decision underscores that prosecutorial delay in examining key witnesses cannot override fair trial rights, even for investigating agencies like the CBI.