Srinagar: The High Court has directed all trial courts to accord priority to cases involving offences of dowry death and cruelty to married women and take steps to ensure their expeditious disposal.
The directions have been issued by the Registrar General in compliance with the Supreme Court’s order dated August 20, 2026, in State of Uttar Pradesh v. Ajmal Beg & Ors., concerning the handling of cases under Sections 304-B and 498-A of the IPC and corresponding provisions under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
Under the circular, trial courts dealing with offences under Sections 304-B and 498-A IPC, now corresponding to Sections 80 and 85 of the BNS, have been asked, as far as practicable, to treat such matters as priority cases and endeavour to dispose of them expeditiously without adversely affecting the hearing of other categories of cases.
The District Judiciary has also been directed to identify cases pending for more than three years, particularly those at the stages of framing of charge or recording of evidence, and subject them to periodic monitoring through quarterly reviews.
The High Court has further prescribed time-bound benchmarks for the progression of trials.
Trial courts have been asked to secure the prompt appearance of accused persons after filing of the charge-sheet and to consider framing of charges preferably within 60 to 90 days from the filing of the charge-sheet.
Once charges are framed, recording of evidence should commence within a reasonable period, while evidence should, as far as practicable, be recorded on a continuous or day-to-day basis in accordance with Section 309 CrPC and Section 346 of the BNSS, 2023.
The circular clarifies that these timelines are directory benchmarks rather than rigid deadlines.
Exceptions may arise in cases involving multiple accused, supplementary charge-sheets, forensic delays, non-availability of accused persons or other circumstances, with reasons to be recorded.
To prevent avoidable delays in recording evidence, trial courts have also been directed to discourage unnecessary adjournments and record reasons in writing whenever an adjournment is granted.
Where counsel representing an accused repeatedly remains absent without sufficient cause, the court may appoint appropriate Legal Aid Counsel or an Amicus Curiae so that proceedings do not remain stalled.
Another significant direction requires trial courts to prepare a witness calendar immediately after framing of charges, specifying dates for examination of material witnesses, service of summons and sequencing of evidence.
The measure is intended to ensure structured management of witnesses and avoid repeated deferment of evidence.
The circular also permits courts, wherever legally permissible and considered appropriate, to explore mediation or counselling in matrimonial disputes arising primarily from matrimonial discord, provided the cases do not involve allegations of death, grievous physical violence or other serious offences.
The exercise, however, must not compromise the rights of the parties or the seriousness of cognizable offences.
The directions have been circulated to all Principal District and Sessions Judges in the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh for necessary compliance and further circulation among judicial officers under their respective jurisdictions.
