Rajasthan High Court Grants Bail After Trial Fails to Conclude Within 60 Days of First Witness Testimony

Jaipur, October 20 (Udaipur Kiran): The Rajasthan High Court has granted bail to an accused after observing that the trial in a criminal case was not completed within 60 days of the first witness’s testimony, as required under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).

Justice Anand Sharma, while hearing the bail plea of Ankit Bansal, a Haryana resident lodged in Jaipur Central Jail, ruled that Section 480(6) of the BNSS provides for the release of an accused on bail in non-bailable offences if the trial is not concluded within 60 days after the first witness is examined and the accused remains in custody.

The petitioner had been in jail since June 2024, and the lower court took cognizance of the case in February 2025. Considering the delay, the court deemed it appropriate to grant him bail.

The case pertains to an alleged ₹704 crore GST evasion, for which the accused was arrested earlier this year. Granting bail, the court directed Ankit Bansal to report to the concerned police station on the 25th of every month after his release.

Advocate Dinesh Bishnoi, representing the petitioner, argued that under Section 480(6) of the BNSS, if the trial of a non-bailable offence is not completed within 60 days of the first testimony, the accused is entitled to bail. He further contended that the trial court had repeatedly adjourned the proceedings, with no substantial progress made even after the stipulated period.

Opposing the plea, the GST department submitted that the accused was involved in a serious financial offence involving crores of rupees and that special legal provisions govern GST-related cases, which should not be viewed under the general provisions of the BNSS.

After hearing both sides, the High Court ordered Bansal’s release on a personal bond of ₹5 lakh and two sureties of ₹2.5 lakh each.