The Supreme Court has issued a directive to all High Courts, stressing the need for expeditious listing and disposal of bail and anticipatory bail applications. The Court underscored the importance of safeguarding an individual’s liberty and emphasized that decisions regarding bail matters should be handled with urgency and without unnecessary delays. The directive was prompted by a cheating and forgery case in which the Court observed the recurrence of such situations despite previous pronouncements on the issue. The Court expressed concern over the continuation of this practice and requested the High Courts to take immediate action. The Court directed the Registry to send a copy of its order to the registrar general and all concerned officials of the High Courts to ensure the prompt listing of bail and anticipatory bail applications. It further urged the High Courts to dispose of pending applications within four weeks from the receipt/production of the Supreme Court order. Until the application is resolved, the Court granted interim protection from arrest to the petitioner, clarifying that the interim protection should not influence the consideration of the bail application on its own merits.