IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA Cr.Misc. No.18697 of 2009 ANIL KUMAR Versus THE STATE OF BIHAR ----------- 02/ 08.07.2009 Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and learned counsel for the State. Petitioner is an accused for offences punishable under sections 302, 307, 147, 148 and 341 of the Penal Code as well as section 27 of the Arms Act. Earlier similar prayer for bail vide Cr. Misc. No. 11558 of 2008 was rejected by this Court on 30.07.2008 on the ground that the petitioner is said to be the main assailant, who had fired at the deceased due to which he died and the said fact was also supported by the post-mortem report. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the petitioner is in custody since 26.04.2005 and trial had started, charges were framed on 24.09.2007 and by 12.02.2008 only three prosecution witnesses have been examined, but they have not supported the prosecution case. He further submits that although more than sixteen months have passed, but none of the remaining eleven prosecution witnesses of the charge-sheet are appearing and the trial is lingering unnecessarily. Considering the facts and circumstances of this case, this petition for bail is dismissed with a direction to the learned trial court to expedite the trial and take all necessary and coercive steps for production of the witnesses and to complete the trial 2 expeditiously, preferably within a period of one year from today. If the trial is not concluded within one year, the petitioner will be at liberty to move this court again with a similar prayer for bail. MPS/ ( S. N. Hussain, J. )