The present writ petition was filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India read with Section 482 of the Cr.P.C. seeking directions to the Trial Court to secure the presence of a material eye-witness named Deepak through coercive processes, to prevent unnecessary adjournments, and to conduct day-to-day trial proceedings. The petitioner alleged that the trial was being protracted due to the non-appearance of the witness. Upon examining the trial court records, the Delhi High Court noted that the matter for prosecution evidence had only been listed on two dates. On the first date, the witness was unwell and bound down for the next hearing without his signatures being captured on the order sheet to confirm he noted the date, and on the second date, when he failed to appear, the trial court rightly issued fresh summons. Finding the petition devoid of merit, frivolous, and filed with a mischievous purpose, Justice Girish Kathpalia dismissed the petition with a cost of Rs. 20,000 to be deposited by the petitioner online with www.bharatkeveer.gov.in within one week.
- Nature of the Petition: The petitioner approached the High Court seeking urgent directions to compel the appearance of a material eye-witness and expedite the recording of testimony on a day-to-day basis.
- Examination of Trial Timeline: The High Court scrutinized the trial court order sheets, revealing that charges were framed on 13.02.2026, and prosecution evidence had only been listed on two dates (29.05.2026 and 05.06.2026).
- Explanation for Witness Absence: On the first date (29.05.2026), the witness Deepak appeared but sought an adjournment due to ill health, and although bound down for the next date, his signatures were not obtained on the order sheet to ensure he noted the subsequent date. Consequently, his absence on the next date (05.06.2026) was entirely understandable, prompting the trial court to correctly issue fresh summons returnable for October 2026.
- No Protraction of Trial: The Court concluded that it was certainly not a case where the trial was being protracted so as to warrant extraordinary intervention or directions from the High Court.
- Imposition of Costs: Branding the petition as not just devoid of merit and frivolous, but filed with a mischievous purpose, the High Court dismissed it with a cost of Rs. 20,000/-, payable by the petitioner online via bharatkeveer.gov.in within one week.



