In Sonu Ram v. State of Rajasthan, the Rajasthan High Court held that a criminal trial cannot proceed against an accused who is mentally incapable of understanding the proceedings. The Court emphasized that the Right to Fair Trial under Article 21 includes the accused’s ability to comprehend charges, participate in proceedings, and defend himself. The accused, arrested in 2024 in a 1994 murder case, was found by a Medical Board to be suffering from dementia, rendering him incapable of understanding legal proceedings, with no likelihood of recovery. Upholding the trial court’s order releasing him, the High Court observed that continuing the prosecution would violate principles of natural justice and constitutional due process. The Court also directed annual medical examinations and clarified that the trial may resume if the accused’s mental condition improves in the future.