Missing link in justice system

It speaks volumes about the Supreme Court's mounting exasperation that it is now contemplating fixing a deadline for the framing of charges in criminal and civil cases.

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The court is not rewriting the law; it is exposing a glaring void in it. Under the Bharatiya Nyay Samhita (BNS), the police must file a chargesheet within 60 days in certain cases and within 90 days in more serious cases. Failure to do so entitles the accused to default bail-provided he can muster the means and legal support to apply for it. Yet, this procedural safeguard has, on occasion, been cynically manipulated. There have been instances where the police deliberately delay filing the chargesheet to benefit the accused for political or extraneous reasons. And while that may offend public morality, there is a deeper, far more pernicious problem: the system is silent on the next step. Once the chargesheet is filed, the trial cannot begin until charges are formally framed. And the law provides no timeline-none-for this crucial step.