SC to set up guidelines for framing of charges

SO IN TOP COURT

- SUCHITRA KALYAN MOHANTY @New Delhi

EXPRESSING strong displeasure over the inordinate delays in the framing of charges against the accused, the Supreme Court on Wednesday said it needs to frame pan-India guidelines to address the problem.

A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and N V Anjaria said that even after the chargesheets are filed, the trial court takes three to four years merely to draft issues, it added.

Once a chargesheet is filed, the charge must be framed promptly. And if the trial court thinks otherwise, and considers the accused innocent, then the discharge proceedings must take its natural course if required, the bench stressed.