The Supreme Court has clarified that timelines for completing investigations are imposed reactively, not proactively, and should be the exception rather than the norm. A bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and N K Singh set aside an Allahabad High Court order imposing a 90-day deadline on UP police, stating such timelines are only appropriate when undue delays cause prejudice. The court emphasized that while investigations must not be open-ended, imposing strict deadlines from the outset can interfere with the executive's role.