Jaipur, Jan. 9 -- The Supreme Court on Thursday sought details from the Rajasthan High Court on the prolonged pendency of a dowry death case that has remained unresolved for over 23 years, while directing all high courts in the country to furnish similar information in serious criminal cases.

The bench of justices JB Pardiwala and KV Vishwanathan, hearing a plea filed by Vijay Kumar and others (accused persons), took serious note of the extraordinary delay in disposing of a criminal revision petition before the Rajasthan high court, during which the trial proceedings in the dowry death case were stayed.

Additional advocate general of Rajasthan Shiv Mangal Sharma said, "The matter arose during the hearing of a Special Leave Petition file...