50 Months. Zero Hearing. Unlimited Bail. This Is the Crisis of Indian Justice.

A criminal matter involving serious allegations, including cheating and wrongful deprivation of a widow’s late husband’s insurance proceeds, has remained effectively pending before the High Court of Chhattisgarh since 2021. The accused continues to remain out on bail while the matter, despite reaching the stage of “final hearing,” has witnessed no meaningful progress for over 50 months. During this period, the accused allegedly continued boasting publicly that “judges are in his pocket” and that nothing would happen to him.

Even after the matter was brought to the attention of the Hon’ble Chief Justice of India, highlighting the extraordinary delay, only one hearing was eventually listed after years—and that too ended without conclusion. Shockingly, even now, no specific next hearing date has been given.

What message does this send to ordinary citizens? Can criminal proceedings be endlessly delayed while accused persons misuse the process and roam free without fear? Respect for the judiciary is non-negotiable, but public faith in justice depends on timely justice. When a matter remains stagnant for years despite repeated concern, citizens are left wondering whether delay itself has become the punishment for victims and the protection for the accused.