This refers to the editorial "A step towards the light" (September 9). The Supreme Court order on undertrials is welcome but it should also look into the sluggishness in both the investigation and trial process that has led to the growing number of undertrials. This is more so because while the system provides for detaining a person based on reasonable doubt, it does not compensate for the loss of livelihood during detention, if that person is ultimately acquitted. To hasten the closure of trials, the Supreme Court should introduce a system of performance appraisal for public prosecutors and judges, so that accountability for delay in the system can be fixed.
V Sridhar Kolkata
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