"Special Judge shall expedite the trial by recording the evidence as far as possible on day-to-day basis...Special Judge shall devote sufficient time for the trial of this case, keeping in mind that it pertains to year 2006," observed Justice Abhay Thipsay last week.
The High Court was hearing the bail application filed by Abdul Azeem Jameel Shaikh, one of the 21 accused.
HC noted that the case was pending before the Special Court for six years, and charges came to be framed only on August 17 this year.
Shaikh's lawyer, advocate Tarraq Sayyed stated before the HC that he would be satisfied if the Special Court was directed to conduct the trial on daily basis, and decide the case at the earliest. He also submitted that this was the oldest pending case on the special judge's roster.
Following the High Court's direction to the trial court, Sayyed withdrew the bail application.
On May 8, 2006, a Maharashtra ATS team had chased a Tata Sumo and an Indica car on Chandwad-Manmad highway near Aurangabad and arrested three men and seized 30 kg of RDX, 10 AK-47 assault rifles and 3,200 bullets.
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The Indica was allegedly driven by Jundal, who escaped. He later fled to Bangladesh and onward to Pakistan.
Supreme Court stayed the trial after one of the accused challenged constitutional validity of certain provisions of MCOCA. The stay was lifted in 2009.