Would a judge not be overwhelmed with a feeling of contribution while acquitting such a person after hearing the appeal? Would it not be an affront to his sense of justice? Of what avail would the acquittal be to a person who has already served out his term of imprisonment or at any rate a major part of it ? It is, therefore, absolutely essential that the practice which this Court has been following in the past must be reconsidered and so long as this Court is not in a position to hear the appeal of an accused within a reasonable period of time, the Court should ordinarily unless there are cogent grounds for acting otherwise, release the accused on bail in cases where special leave has been granted to the accused to appeal against his conviction and sentence." Having regard to this constollation of considerations, carefully viewed in the jurisprudential setting above silhourted, we are of the view, that subject to certain safeguards, the petitioners are eligible to be enlarged on bail.