NEW DELHI, Feb 4: The Supreme Court stated on Tuesday that appeals filed by the accused or the victims under the National Investigation Agency Act of 2008 should not be rejected solely due to delays exceeding 90 days.
A bench led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, along with Justices Sanjay Kumar and K V Viswanathan, was reviewing petitions that challenge the legitimacy of Section 21(5) of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Act, which outlines the deadline for submitting an appeal following a trial court’s judgment.
“Appeals made by the accused or the victims will not be dismissed on the basis that delays beyond 90 days cannot be excused,” stated the bench in an order that effectively lifts the statutory limitations.
This section stipulates that appeals must be lodged within 30 days of the judgment, sentence, or order, although the high court can consider an appeal after this period if the appellant presents a valid reason.
It also indicates that no appeal will be accepted beyond 90 days—a point of contention in the current petitions.
The bench directed the involved parties to submit their written arguments, limiting them to three pages, before the next hearing date.
The bench considered petitions submitted by Sushila Devi and Osman Shareef. (PTI)
