In response to revelations about 95 criminal gangs operating in Delhi, the Supreme Court on Thursday proposed the establishment of special courts to expedite the trial of gang-related cases. During the hearing, a bench consisting of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh highlighted the urgent need for swift justice to prevent gangsters from exploiting judicial delays to obtain bail.
The bench expressed concerns over the safety of witnesses and the misuse of the judicial process by hardened criminals. “If you keep the trial pending, then they get bail. In a country with inadequate witness protection, the outcomes for these witnesses are predictably grim,” Justice Kant remarked during the session.
Additional Solicitor General S.D. Sanjay, representing the Delhi government, discussed a chart he prepared with a deputy commissioner of police, detailing the extensive criminal network across the capital. The discussion also touched on a tragic incident where a young girl from a minority community, a key witness in a murder trial, was brutally killed under the guise of a personal dispute, later revealed to be a targeted attempt to prevent her testimony.
Justice Kant suggested a strategic approach to the problem, recommending an analysis to determine the number of special courts needed based on the caseloads. “Estimate the time required for five to ten cases per court, and then plan the number of special courts accordingly,” he advised.
The case of gangster Mahesh Khatri alias Bholi, who sought bail from the Supreme Court after denial from the High Court, was a focal point of the hearing. The justices noted that the crimes span beyond Delhi, reaching into Haryana, indicating a widespread network of organized crime within the National Capital Region.
