The right to a speedy trial is a fundamental right of the accused, as per Article 21 of the Constitution, and any delay caused by the prosecution may violate this right.

1. This Criminal Revision is directed against the order dated 28th of April06, passed by the learned Special Judge, Anticorruption, Srinagar.

2. The case of the petitioner is that respondent who was working as Patwari at Halqa Natipora, Tehsil Chadoora, took bribe of Rs. 4800/- from one Ali Mohammad Dar on the pretext that he will deposit the said money as levy in the treasury and will get the land of one Shamboo Nath comprised in Khasra No.923, situated at Natipora, mutated in favour of aforementioned Ali Mohd Dar. The respondent, however, did not deposit the said amount in the treasury and embezzled the same. On receipt of complaint, investigation was conducted and it was established that the respondent has done the embezzlement. Accordingly, sanction was accorded by the competent authority to prosecute the respondent on 22nd of June89. Challan was filed in the court of Special Judge, Anticorruption, Srinagar, on 3rd of April06.

3. Mr. Shah, learned Dy.AG, appearing for the petitioner-State submitted that the court below passed the impugned order and discharged the respondent-accused solely on the ground that the sanction order was in cyclostyle form and no original sanction was produced. It is stated that the learned trial court should have granted sufficient time to the petitioner-State for placing on record the original sanction. Placing reliance on a judgment dt. 10th of April09, passed in Criminal Revision 30/2006, titled State of J&K v. Peerzada Ghulam Rasool and ors, learned Dy.AG, submitted that under similar circumstances, this court in the aforementioned case had allowed the criminal revision and directed the trial court to proceed in the matter in accordance with the law.

4. In the case in hand, the occurrence is of the year 1980. The FIR against the respondent was registered in the year 1987. The investigation in the matter was conducted and the competent authority is said to have granted the sanction on 22nd of June89. Thereafter challan was presented in the trial court on 3rd of April06, i.e. after about seventeen years of grant of sanction by the competent authority. This fact was taken note of by the trial court and at page 4 of the order impugned it has been observed as under:-

"As prosecution failed to prove grant of sanction by competent authority, to launch prosecution, in terms of section 6 of Prevention of Corruption Act, this court has no jurisdiction to proceed further.

As the prosecution has failed to prove the valid sanction, it would not be proper for me to go into the effect of the delay in the instant case."

5. The trial court without considering the matter so far as delay is concerned, ultimately discharged the respondent vide order impugned on the ground that valid sanction has not been proved. Therefore, keeping in view this fact, the trial court was not right to discharge the accused on the ground that prosecution has failed to prove the valid sanction.

6. There is another aspect of the matter which relates to speedy trial of the case. As observed here-in-above, the occurrence is of the year 1980 and the FIR was registered in the year 1987. Sanction was granted by the competent authority on 22nd of June89. Thereafter, the challan was filed before the trial court in April06 , i.e., after about 17 years. The trial court, even though, has made mention of this fact, but it has not dealt with this issue.

7. Fair, just and reasonable procedure in terms of Article 21 of the Constitution creates a right in the accused to be tried speedily. Right to speedy trial is the right of an accused. The fact that a speedy trial is also in public interest and serves the societal interest also does not make it any the less the right of the accused. It is in the interest of all concerned that the guilt or innocence of the accused is determined as quickly as possible in the circumstances. This right, as indicated above, flows from Article 21 of the Constitution and encompasses all the stages namely the stage of investigati

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