CUTTACK: The Supreme Court has rejected the bail plea of gangster Sushanta Dhalasamanta that was registered at the Chauliaganj police station in Cuttack city for a 2009 murder case. The court, however, ordered that the trial must be concluded as early as possible but not later than one year.
The gangster who has been in custody since his arrest in 2016 had moved the SC after the Orissa High Court rejected his bail plea in the 2009 murder case on August 11, 2022 and August 7, 2024.
While the prosecution projected Sushanta Dhalasamanta as a hardened criminal, records presented before the Supreme Court indicated that he was involved in more than 30 cases of heinous crimes and 11 more cases have been traced out against him.
Rejecting the bail plea on February 13, the Supreme Court bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice NK Singh said: “We feel that it won’t be in the interest of justice to enlarge the petitioner on bail at this stage. However, it is the bounden duty of the prosecution to ensure that the trial is taken to its logical conclusion in a time-bound manner.”
“Consequently, we dispose of this petition with the following directions: (1) The trial court shall take up the trial twice in a month and shall send a periodical progress report to the learned Administrative-cum-Portfolio Judge of the high court. (2) The prosecution is directed to ensure that sufficient witnesses remain present before the trial court for their deposition on every date. (3) The defence counsel(s) is/are directed to remain present in court and extend full cooperation to the trial court for expeditious disposal of the pending trial,” the bench further stated.