Accused Not Required to File Counter in Extension Applications, Presence Needed Only for Objections: Madras High Court

The Madras High Court recently clarified important procedural aspects concerning statutory bail and the extension of detention under Section 167 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). The court was hearing a batch of petitions where the accused persons had challenged the rejection of their statutory bail applications by the trial court. The key issue was whether the accused were entitled to bail after the statutory period expired, despite the prosecution’s…