The promise made by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to expedite the Baba Siddique murder case has received varied responses from legal experts in Mumbai. While some, such as senior counsel Amit Desai, believe that speeding up high-profile murder investigations can have a positive impact, others warn against rushing the process at the expense of ensuring justice. Several lawyers suggest that a fast-track court trial could help alleviate concerns within society regarding law and order standards in Mumbai following the crime. However, they emphasize the importance of allowing the police enough time to conduct a thorough investigation to uncover the masterminds behind the nighttime shooting. Once a chargesheet is filed, the trial could be moved to a fast-track court (FTC). As of May 2024, there are 866 FTCs in India, specializing in handling serious crimes such as murders, sexual offenses, and crimes against women and children. Despite this, some lawyers point out that the effectiveness of FTCs has been hindered by resource constraints, inadequate infrastructure, and subpar investigations in the past. Senior criminal law advocate Majeed Memon, who recently rejoined the NCP (Sharad Pawar), raised questions about the circumstances surrounding Siddique's tragic assassination and the apparent lapse in security measures. Memon emphasized the need for a vigilant and thorough investigation in such a heinous crime and cautioned against prematurely revealing suspect photographs, which could compromise the process of identifying the assailants. Ultimately, he stressed that justice for the victim and his family can only be achieved by building a strong case against the perpetrators, rather than making bold statements about imposing stringent penalties.According to veteran crime counsel Niteen Pradhan, punishment through Community Service (CM) and Heavy Monetary (HM) fines is ineffective. Pradhan emphasizes that while murder cases should be expedited, investigations must be thorough and credible to restore public confidence. The new criminal procedural code, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), mandates that police complete investigations and file chargesheets within 90 days, a restriction that was previously absent. In Maharashtra, there are 36.5 lakh pending criminal cases, with 60% exceeding a year. Last month, over 1.2 lakh new criminal cases were recorded statewide, and 1.8 lakh cases were disposed of. In Mumbai, the sessions court has 41,530 pending criminal cases. According to the National Judicial Data Grid, 1,548 serious criminal cases were filed in the sessions court last month, with 948 cases resolved. Data for Fast Track Courts (FTCs) is not separately available on the grid.