New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday expressed displeasure over prolonged delays in the framing of charges, saying that in many cases it takes three to four years merely to draft issues.

The court emphasised that once a chargesheet is filed, the charge must be framed promptly.

A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and N V Anjaria noted that such delays are widespread across the country and under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNS), charges are to be framed within 60 days of the first hearing.

The bench favoured for uniform judicial practice, and proposed to issue pan-India guidelines to ensure timely framing of charges. The court said delays are among the primary causes for stagnation in criminal proceedings.

The court opined that certain directions need to be issued pan-Indi

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