The Punjab and Haryana High Court has delivered a stinging rebuke to a trial court in SAS Nagar for what it called an alarmingly casual approach in handling a criminal case filed by 76-year-old retired Colonel Sukhwinder Singh Dhillon — a victim of a massive online insurance scam.
Justice NS Shekhawat, visibly perturbed by the trial’s snail’s pace, ordered the District and Sessions Judge to summon every judicial officer in the district for an urgent meeting. The message: criminal trials, especially those involving senior citizens, are not to be treated like leisurely paperwork.
Dhillon, who was swindled out of ₹58.68 lakh, alleged that the accused in the case had been playing a game of delay — repeatedly skipping hearings and securing generous exemptions from appearing in court. The High Court noted that the trial court seemed unusually accommodating, not only to the accused but also to jail authorities who failed to produce them for ten straight hearings.
The judge’s observations were blistering. In nearly four years, only two witnesses had been examined, while the retired officer had been making repeated trips from Amritsar to Mohali to attend proceedings. The court called the leniency “shocking” and underscored that justice delayed was justice denied — both to the victim and to society.
Citing the Supreme Court’s ruling in Kartar Singh vs. State of Punjab, the High Court reiterated that a speedy trial is not a luxury but a fundamental safeguard. It ordered the trial court to wrap up the case within eight months and to ensure exemptions are granted only for genuine reasons.
The directive also included a pointed reminder: copies of the order are to be sent to all past presiding officers who handled the matter since 2021, along with instructions to “be careful in future.”
In short — the High Court has signaled that when it comes to justice for the elderly, excuses won’t cut it and patience has its limits.
