Supreme Court Clarifies High Court Limits on Bail Decisions

The Supreme Court has ruled that high courts cannot assess evidence to determine an individual's guilt during bail proceedings. This decision overturned an Allahabad High Court order that commented on the merits of a murder case while granting bail. The matter was sent back for fresh examination without any merit-based opinions.

The Supreme Court has emphasized that high courts should not delve into evidential matters to judge guilt at the bail stage of a criminal case.

On Monday, the bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan nullified an Allahabad High Court order concerning a murder case, which included significant remarks on its merits.

This decision was triggered by the bail granted to Amit Kumar, also leading to a call for a fresh hearing without any prejudgments on case merits.

(With inputs from agencies.)