Supreme Court Appreciates Trial Court’s Efforts in Expediting Evidence in High-Profile Murder Case in Jammu

VoM News Desk | June 1, 2026 | 09:46 PM IST | Breaking News, Courts & Law, Jammu Kashmir |
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Supreme Court Appreciates Trial Court’s Efforts in Expediting Evidence in High-Profile Murder Case in Jammu

JAMMU, JUNE 01, 2026 [VoM News]: The Supreme Court has appreciated the efforts of the trial court in Jammu for ensuring speedy progress in the trial of a high-profile murder case arising out of an alleged land-grabbing dispute in the Greater Kailash (Chowadi) area of Jammu.

The case relates to the death of Avtar Singh, who succumbed to injuries allegedly sustained during a violent clash on April 30, 2024, leading to registration of a case under Sections 302, 307, 120-B and other provisions of the Indian Penal Code.

A Bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra Sharma recorded its appreciation for the work of 2nd Additional Sessions Judge, Jammu, Anoop Kumar Sharma, while deciding a batch of appeals arising from the rejection of bail pleas of six accused persons by the Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court.

“At the outset, we record our appreciation for the learned Sessions Judge who has painstakingly ensured recording of the evidence of all the eyewitnesses,” the Supreme Court observed in its order passed on June 1, 2026.

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The apex court noted that the prosecution has cited 44 witnesses in the case. Concerned over delays in the trial, the Supreme Court had earlier, on January 16, 2026, directed the trial court to fix two consecutive dates every week for recording the evidence of eyewitnesses.

The Court had also observed that the requests for bail would be considered in light of the progress made in completing the examination and cross-examination of eyewitnesses.

Subsequently, while hearing the matter on different dates, the Supreme Court repeatedly encouraged expeditious recording of evidence and, on April 6, 2026, asked the trial court to complete the cross-examination of eyewitnesses as early as possible, preferably by May 25, 2026.

When the matter was taken up again, the Supreme Court was informed that out of six eyewitnesses, evidence of five had been fully recorded and the sixth witness had been dropped from the prosecution list. Taking note of the progress achieved, the Bench acknowledged the efforts made by the trial court in carrying forward the proceedings.

While granting bail to two elderly accused, Sheikh Mehmood and Ravinder Kumar Gupta, and rejecting the bail pleas of four others, the Supreme Court further directed the trial court to continue expediting the proceedings.

The Bench encouraged the Sessions Judge to reschedule witness examinations, wherever necessary, and make every endeavour to complete the recording of evidence of all prosecution witnesses by the end of March 2027.

The Court clarified that its observations were confined to the issue of bail and would not influence the final adjudication of the criminal case pending before the trial court.

Content Credit: Kanoon ki Dastak

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