RANJIT SINGH vs STATE OF PUNJAB

The Supreme Court addressed whether a Sessions Court can add a new accused prior to evidence collection, referencing Section 319 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The Court noted that while the Sessions Judge relied on Kishun Singh v. State of Bihar, a subsequent case, Raj Kishore Prasad v. State of Bihar, expressed reservations about this interpretation. Consequently, the matter was referred to a larger bench for clarification on the legal position regarding the addition of accused persons in ongoing trials.