Supreme Court Upholds Strict Timelines for UAPA Prosecution Sanctions

The Supreme Court ruled that the timeline specified for recommending and granting prosecution sanctions under UAPA must be strictly followed. This ruling came in the context of a case involving Fuleshwar Gope, emphasizing the necessity to adhere to the statutory timelines to prevent misuse of power and ensure fair trials.

The Supreme Court on Monday stressed the importance of adhering to the specified timeline for recommendation and grant of prosecution sanctions under the UAPA, asserting that deviations could lead to unbridled power, which goes against democratic principles.

Rules 3 and 4 of the UAPA Rules enforce a seven-day period for authorities to make recommendations based on investigative materials, followed by another seven days for the government to issue prosecution sanctions. The court emphasized the critical nature of these timelines as checks and balances.

The Supreme Court bench, led by Justices CT Ravikumar and Sanjay Karol, ruled that any challenge to the validity of prosecution sanctions must be raised at the earliest opportunity during the trial. The bench further clarified that these regulations ensure executive power is kept in check, thus safeguarding the rights of the accused.

(With inputs from agencies.)