Srinagar, July 1 -- Srinagar- Acting on the Supreme Court's concern over the prolonged incarceration of undertrial prisoners, the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh has launched a major exercise to fast-track long-pending criminal trials across the two Union Territories, identifying the 15 oldest cases for priority disposal and directing all trial courts to expedite proceedings involving accused who have spent years behind bars awaiting the conclusion of their trials.

The directions were issued by the Registrar General of the High Court in compliance with the Supreme Court's order dated April 21, 2026, in the Special Leave Petition (Criminal), Anoop Singh vs Union Territory of J&K.

Apart from identifying the 15 oldest pending cr...