RAJDEO SHARMA vs STATE OF BIHAR

The Supreme Court addressed the violation of the right to a speedy trial under Article 21 of the Constitution in the context of a prosecution under Section 5(2) read with Section 5(1)(e) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947. The Court noted that the delay of over 13 years in the trial process, attributed to the backlog of cases in the Special Court, constituted a significant infringement of the petitioner's rights. Consequently, the Court held that the prolonged delay was unacceptable and warranted intervention to ensure the enforcement of the right to a speedy trial.