In a charged hearing that stretched through the afternoon, the Supreme Court on Wednesday declined two crucial requests linked to the long-running murder trial of SK Md. Anisur Rahaman-one seeking cancellation of his bail, and the other asking for relaxation of his movement restrictions. The bench, speaking in a firm yet measured tone, made it clear that the trial must proceed “fairly, steadily, and without unnecessary turbulence,” even as concerns over witness intimidation and prosecutorial lapses hovered in the courtroom.
Background
Rahaman, accused of conspiring in the 2019 killing of political rival Kurban Sha in Purba Medinipur, has been in and out of legal battles for years. The case itself has travelled a winding path: an aborted attempt by the West Bengal government to withdraw prosecution under Section 321 CrPC; witnesses turning hostile at unusual rates; and repeated interventions by both High Court and Supreme Court to ensure the trial stays on course.
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Although Rahaman was granted bail in January 2025 after more than five years in custody, the Court imposed a strict condition-he must remain within Kolkata city limits. His attempt to modify that condition now, the Court noted, seemed less about necessity and more about “trying his luck with a changed bench composition.”
Court’s Observations
The proceedings saw vivid exchanges. Counsel for Afjal Sha-brother of the deceased-accused Rahaman of “widening his influence” after bail, pointing to political connections and claiming witnesses were being frightened into silence. The bench, however, pressed for concrete proof.
“The anxiety of a bereaved family is understandable,” the bench observed, “but cancellation of bail requires a clear breach-not mere apprehension.”
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On Rahaman’s request to travel outside Kolkata, the Court was equally blunt. Referencing the earlier order that granted bail with restrictions, the judges stressed the principle of finality in judicial decisions. “We are not inclined to unsettle conditions already found justified,” the bench remarked. They added that since the police themselves had provided Rahaman personal security in his home district, remaining in Kolkata was in fact the safer course.
The bench also expressed unease over the Sessions Court’s recent harsh criticism of the Special Public Prosecutor. Calling those remarks “unwarranted” and “a one-off aberration,” the judges gently reminded the trial court that rushing to complete the trial should not come at the cost of fairness. The order referring the prosecutor to the Legal Remembrancer was set aside.
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Decision
In the final pronouncement, the Court dismissed both the applications-Afjal Sha’s plea to cancel bail and Rahaman’s plea to ease the travel restriction. The Court directed the Sessions Court to continue recording the remaining evidence on successive or alternative days and complete the trial “in accordance with law, without being overly concerned about earlier timelines.”
With the spotlight now back on the trial court, the Supreme Court ended the matter with a pointed reminder: justice must not only be swift, but also steady and scrupulously fair.
Case Title: Supreme Court Rejects Bid to Cancel Bail and Denies Modification of Bail Conditions for SK Md. Anisur Rahaman
Case Type: Applications for cancellation of bail and modification of bail conditions in a murder conspiracy trial.
Applicant/Appellant: SK Md. Anisur Rahaman
Co-Applicant: Afjal Ali Sha (brother of the deceased)
Respondents: State of West Bengal & Another
Final Decision: 26 November 2025