India, Oct. 6 -- The High Court of Orissa has granted bail to a man who was arrested in 2018 in a murder case when he was a minor, observing that his prolonged incarceration for over seven years amounted to a violation of his fundamental rights under Article 21 of the Constitution.

The high court noted that the trial had made little progress, though the petitioner had been in custody since July 2018. The Cuttack additional district judge had rejected his bail application in November 2024.

In his four-page ruling, justice G Satapathy stressed that the right to a speedy trial was "ingrained in the fundamental right to life and personal liberty". The high court directed that the man be released on bail under Section 101 of the Juvenile Jus...