Suchitra Baidya Vs State of West Bengal and Anr. — Calcutta HC (2026) — LawSathi Research

Suchitra Baidya Vs State of West Bengal and Anr. — Calcutta HC (2026) — LawSathi Research

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Application disposed of with direction to the court below (JMFC, 2nd Court, Ranaghat) to prepone the charge hearing in GR Case No. 300 of 2022 to a date in July 2026 and to conclude the charge hearing on the preponed date or within sixty days thereafter; urgent Photostat certified copy to be given to the parties upon compliance with requisite formalities.

Issue for consideration

Whether the court below should be directed to hold an expeditious (preponed) charge hearing in GR Case No. 300 of 2022, which has been pending for about four years. +1 more

Court's answer

Considering that the criminal proceeding has been pending for charge-hearing for about four years, the petitioner's prayer for expeditious charge hearing is justified and required to be allowed to secure the ends of justice.

Ratio / Principle

Direction issued upon the court below to prepone the date of charge hearing and to fix a date in the month of July, 2026.

Key takeaways

The court below is further directed to conclude the charge hearing on the preponed date or within a period of sixty days thereafter.ratio¶11
The prayer was held innocuous; allowing it in its terms would give the opposite parties no cause to prejudice.ratio¶9
Service of copy of the application upon the opposite parties is dispensed with.ratio

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Order dated 18.05.2026 disposing of CRR 1020 of 2026 (Suchitra Baidya v. The State of West Bengal & Ors.), Dr. Ajoy Kumar Mukherjee, J. The petitioner, an accused in GR Case No. 300 of 2022 before the Judicial Magistrate, 1st Class, 2nd Court, Ranaghat (written FIR dated 06.02.2022; charge-sheet dated 19.02.2022 under Ss.447/323/354/506/34 IPC against her and five others), complained that although the matter had been pending for appearance for about four years the charge hearing had not been conducted, the next date being fixed for 02.02.2027. Holding the prayer innocuous and justified to secure the ends of justice, the court dispensed with service of the application on the opposite parties and disposed of the CRR with a direction upon the court below to prepone the charge hearing to a date in July 2026 and to conclude it on the preponed date or within sixty days thereafter.

18.5.2026 25. BD

CRR 1020 of 2026

Suchitra Baidya Vs.

The State of West Bengal & Ors.

Mr. Ramkrishna Bhattacharya Mr. Kaushik Choudhury Mr. Dwipayan Panda …for the Petitioner

Being aggrieved by the inordinate delay caused in disposal of the criminal proceeding being GR Case No. 300 of 2022 presently pending before learned Judicial Magistrate, 1^st Class, 2^nd Court, Ranaghat, learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the petitioner being the accused person was roped in a proceeding under sections 447/325/341/379/506/34/354 of the IPC on the basis of a written FIR dated 06.02.2022. On completion of the investigation, police submitted charge-sheet on 19^th February, 2022 under sections 447/323/354/506/34 of the IPC against the petitioner and five others. Since then, the matter is pending for appearance but the charge hearing has not been conducted by the trial court for last four years. The court below has fixed the next date for appearance on 2^nd February, 2027. Accordingly, the petitioner has prayed for appropriate direction upon the court below for expeditious charge hearing.

Having heard learned counsel for the petitioner, it appears that the prayer made by the petitioner is

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innocuous and if it is allowed in terms of the prayer made therein, the opposite parties will have no cause to prejudice and as such, the service of copy of application upon the opposite parties is hereby dispensed with.

Having considering the fact that the criminal proceeding is pending for charge-hearing for about four years, I find that the prayer made by the petitioner is justified and is required to be allowed in order to secure ends of justice.

Having considered the facts and circumstances of the case, the instant application being CRR 1020 of 2026 is hereby disposed of with a direction upon the court below to prepone the date of charge hearing and to fix a date in the month of July, 2026 and he is further directed to conclude the charge hearing on the preponed date or within a period of sixty days thereafter.

Urgent Photostat certified copy of this order, duly applied for, be given to the parties upon compliance of all requisite formalities.

(Dr. Ajoy Kumar Mukherjee, J.)