Srinagar, July 6 -- The ruling that prolonged incarceration without timely conclusion of trial violates the fundamental right to life and liberty under Article 21 is a powerful reaffirmation of constitutional values. It makes clear that even in cases involving stringent anti-terror legislation, the presumption of innocence remains intact until guilt is established through fair adjudication. The judgment warns against allowing the process itself to become punitive, for indefinite detention without verdict deprives liberty, inflicts mental agony and erodes public confidence in justice.

The deliberate mandate of day-to-day trial under the National Investigation Agency Act was designed to ensure that prosecutions concerning sovereignty and n...