Supreme Court orders Karnataka to limit UAPA cases per special court to 12-15

The Supreme Court, with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, condemned Karnataka’s proposed prosecution timeline in the UAPA trial of Shahid Khan, describing it as a "fairytale". Khan, detained for four years, faces charges of fundraising for the banned Popular Front of India and involvement in planned attacks. The court highlighted that the state had not produced any of the 700 witnesses it listed and mandated that each special court handle only 12-15 cases to prevent indefinite delays.

Karnataka counsel Rooh-e-Hina Dua had suggested a year-long schedule to examine three protected and 50 other witnesses, which the bench rejected as lackadaisical. The judges directed the prosecution to complete the protected-witness examinations within three months and cautioned all parties against filing multiple applications. The ruling underscores the judiciary’s push for faster resolution of terrorism-related cases.