Bikram Sahu v. State of Odisha
Case brief
What is this about?
Orissa High Court, Cuttack — BLAPL No.4837 of 2025, decided 29.10.2025 (oral) by G. Satapathy, J. Regular bail under S.483 BNSS / S.439 CrPC rejected in a murder case (Ss.147/148/294/506/302/149 IPC, Purusottampur P.S. Case No.446 of 2021 / S.T. Case No.26 of 2022). Key points: co-accused added under S.319 CrPC with challenge pending; three-month trial-completion direction (BLAPL No.6948 of 2024) held no ground for bail per P. Ramachandra Rao (2002) 4 SCC 578; Kaushal Singh (2025) INSC 871 considered; informant eyewitness; undisclosed criminal antecedents including S.394 IPC cases; four years' custody noted.
What did the court decide?
As made clear by a seven-Judge Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court in P. Ramachandra Rao vs. State of Karnataka, (2002) 4 SCC 578, it is neither advisable, nor feasible, nor judicially permissible to draw or prescribe an outer limit for conclusion of proceedings; consequently, the earlier three-month trial-completion direction in BLAPL No. 6948 of 2024 did not warrant grant of bail to the petitioner.