Thachankary has sought a suspension of his jail sentence until his appeal against the trial court’s conviction and sentence against him is decided by the High Court.
Justice A Badharudeen today reserved his verdict on this question of interim relief.
Notably, the judge also observed that the grant of such interim relief, in some cases, becomes disproportionately favourable to the accused. A conviction in corruption cases itself is an uphill task, the judge pointed out.
“What is happening here is, getting a conviction or a trial itself is a difficult task. Trial will be stalled in multiple ways. Ultimately, even after conviction and sentence, they will easily get released by appellate powers. Then they continue outside without even hearing the appeal. In the meantime, the accused may die and the purpose itself is defeated. That is what is practically happening. I am saying this based on data from the High Court, nothing else. It is a pathetic situation. Are we the protectors of justice?” the judge lamented.