India, March 31 -- The Bombay High Court has granted bail to an auto driver accused of murdering his uncle in 2021. The order, released on Saturday, cited prolonged incarceration and severe overcrowding in prisons. The accused, Mangesh Dashrath Gaikwad, had spent nearly three years and nine months in custody without trial, prompting the court to stress the importance of the fundamental right to a speedy trial under Article 21 of the Constitution.

Gaikwad was arrested on June 20, 2021, after he allegedly barged into his uncle Vinayak Gaikwad's house, attacked him with a sharp weapon, and pushed him into a ditch. The murder was reportedly triggered after the victim had slapped Gaikwad's father over a family dispute. Gaikwad was then booked...