Ravinder Shahni Vs State (Govt. of Nct) Delhi & Anr. — Delhi HC (2026) — LawSathi Research

Ravinder Shahni Vs State (Govt. of Nct) Delhi & Anr. — Delhi HC (2026) — LawSathi Research

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

No direction or further relief granted; in view of the Additional P.P.'s assurance, learned counsel for the petitioner did not press for any further relief or direction, and the petition was disposed of with all rights and contentions reserved. Pending application likewise disposed of.

Issue for consideration

Whether the petitioner was entitled to a direction from this Court requiring the learned Trial Court to conclude the murder trial in a time-bound manner. +1 more

Court's answer

Constitutional Courts do not, generally, give any specific direction for concluding a trial in a time-bound manner unless there is a case of serious hardship or total inaction on the part of the prosecution.

Ratio / Principle

The trial was already going at a quicker pace, the prosecution having examined ten of the twenty-two cited witnesses, including all three eye-witnesses of the murder, so there was no total inaction warranting a time-bound direction.

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Delhi High Court (Manoj Jain, J.), Order dated 05.01.2026 (W.P.(CRL) 9/2026 & CRL.M.A. 52/2026): Ravinder Shahni, one of six accused facing trial for murder, sought a precise direction that the learned Trial Court conclude the trial in a time-bound manner. The Court observed that Constitutional Courts do not, generally, give specific directions for concluding trials in a time-bound manner absent a case of serious hardship or total inaction by the prosecution, and found no such case here: ten of the twenty-two cited witnesses had already been examined, including all three eye-witnesses, so the trial was already moving at a quicker pace. The Investigating Officer was present, and the Additional P.P. assured, on instructions, that the remaining formal and police witnesses would appear as per the Trial Court's directions without delay. On that assurance, petitioner's counsel did not press for any further relief; the petition and the pending application were disposed of, with all rights and contentions reserved.

$~11

IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI

- W.P.(CRL) 9/2026 & CRL.M.A. 52/2026

RAVINDER SHAHNI .....Petitioner

Through: Ms. Sowjhanya Shankaran, Advocate (DHCLSC) with Ms. Anuka Bachawat, Mr. Akash Sachan and Ms. Charu Sinha, Advocates.

versus

STATE (GOVT. OF NCT) DELHI & ANR. .....Respondents Through: Mr. Amol Sinha, ASC for State with Inspr. Sanjeev Kumar, PS Punjabi Bagh.

CORAM: HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE MANOJ JAIN O R D E R % 05.01.2026

Six accused persons, including petitioner herein are facing trial for committing murder.

The request in the present petition is very precise and petitioner seeks direction to learned Trial Court to conclude trial in a time-bound manner.

Undoubtedly, any trial has to be quick and swift but fact remains that the Constitutional Courts do not, generally, give any specific direction for concluding the trial in a time-bound manner, unless there is a case of serious hardship or total inaction on the part of prosecution.

Out of twenty-two cited witnesses, the prosecution has already examined ten witnesses, including all the three eye-witnesses of the murder in question. It is, therefore, quite clear that the trial is already going at a quicker pace.

W.P.(CRL) 9/2026

1

This is a digitally signed order.

The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 07/01/2026 at 12:21:04

The Investigating Officer is also present in Court.

Learned Addl. P.P., on instructions, submits that the remaining formal witnesses and police witnesses would appear as per the directions given by the learned Trial Court and there would not be any delay on their part.

In view of the abovesaid assurance, learned counsel for the petitioner, at the moment, does not press for any further relief or direction.

In view of the above, the present petition stands disposed of. All rights and contentions are, however, reserved.

Pending application also stands disposed of.

MANOJ JAIN, J

JANUARY 5, 2026 st/sy

W.P.(CRL) 9/2026

2

This is a digitally signed order.

The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 07/01/2026 at 12:21:04

This is a digitally signed order. The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 07/01/2026 at 12:21:04