India, Oct. 29 -- The Supreme Court has expressed deep concern over the pendency of cases before various courts in Maharashtra after learning that trials had not commenced in at least 649 criminal cases as the police had failed to frame charges against the accused despite filing charge sheets, in some cases way back in 2006.

"To say the least, it is a reflection of a very shocking state of affairs, insofar as the conduct of trials before different courts in the state of Maharashtra is concerned," the bench of justices Sanjay Karol and NK Singh said on October 9, after perusing an affidavit filed by the Bombay High Court registry regarding undertrials across Maharashtra against whom charges had not been framed despite charge sheets being ...