Delay in justice often becomes an injustice in itself. This incident from Bagaha, Bihar, presents a painful picture of the slow pace of the Indian judicial system. The court acquitted four individuals, declaring them innocent, but it took 23 years for the verdict to be delivered. Four accused, who had been fighting to prove their innocence for nearly 23 years after being named in a case, finally received relief from the court. After a long wait, when the court of District and Additional Sessions Judge IV, Manvendra Mishra, granted the benefit of the doubt to all four accused—Dhurai Chaudhary, Ramashish Chaudhary, Rampreet Chaudhary, and Budhram Chaudhary—granted them the benefit of the doubt, their eyes welled with tears. Release at this age brought them joy and also brought back the pain of years past.
The case is from Khajuria village in the Ramnagar police station area. Case number 143/03 was being heard in court. Additional Public Prosecutor Jitendra Bharti stated that the incident occurred on August 8, 2003. Bhagwan Chaudhary filed an FIR at the Ramnagar police station, alleging that he was abused and beaten, injuring him. The police named a total of six people as accused in the case.
After the trial began, all the accused had to endure a lengthy court process, hoping for justice. During this time, two of the six named accused, Ajay and Govind, died before the trial could be completed. However, the remaining four accused ultimately received the benefit of the doubt based on the trial and the available evidence.
The court released
The court ordered the release of all four accused. After the verdict was announced, the accused and their families present in the courtroom became emotional. Relief was evident on the faces of the accused, who had borne the burden of the trial for years. Family members said that at an age when they should have lived a peaceful life with family and society, a large part of their lives was spent worrying about the court and the trial. Two of the named accused were no longer alive to hear the verdict. Consequently, this verdict, which came after 23 years, was also emotional for their families. With the court’s order, this case, which had been ongoing for nearly two and a half decades, came to an end. After the four accused were granted the benefit of the doubt, their faces showed relief and satisfaction after years.
