Delhi High Court · 2025

$~47 * IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI + BAIL APPLN. 211/2025, CRL.M.A.1444/2025 (for grant of interim protection) JAGMEET SINGH .....Petitioner Through: Mr. Madhav Khurana, Senior Advocate with Mr. S.P.Singh, Mr. Harmeet Singhand Ms. Jasveen Kaur, Advocates. versus STATE GOVT. OF NCT OF DELHI .....Respondent Through: Ms. Meenakshi Dahiya, APP for the State with ACP Naresh Kumar, Inspector Gulshan Yadav, AGS, Crime Branch. CORAM: HON'BLE MS. JUSTICE NEENA BANSAL KRISHNA O R D E R % 20.01.2025 CRL.M.A. 1443/2025 (Exemption) 1. Exemption allowed, subject to all just exceptions. 2. The Application stands disposed of. BAIL APPLN. 211/2025 3. A Bail Application under Section 482 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (‘BNSS, 2023’) read with Section 528, BNSS 2023 read with Section 438 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (hereinafter referred to as ‘CrPC’) read with Section 482 of CrPC, has been filed on behalf of the Petitioner/Sh. Jagmeet Singh, for grant of This is a digitally signed order. The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 01/07/2025 at 00:05:44 Anticipatory Bail, in FIR No. 360/2019 under Sections 420/465/466/467/468/471/474/120B of Indian Penal Code, 1860 (‘IPC’ hereinafter) read with Section 12 of PP Act read with Section 13(1)(d) of POC Act, was registered at Police Station Crime Branch. 4. The case of the prosecution is that the present FIR No. 360/2019 registered by Police Station Crime Branch on 18.12.2019, onn the complaint received from Special Crime Branch, Delhi Police. Thereafter, Vigilance levied allegations against 343 accused persons of obtaining passports on false documents in obtaining of false Police Verification Report on Passport Applications. On the basis of the fake documents and false Police Verification, 343 passports got issued. Further investigations revealed that six police officials were involved in giving false Verification Reports, who were made accused in the present case. 343 persons in whose name the false Passports were issued, were also made co-accused. During the course of the investigation LOC of 343 persons were opened through FRRO, who were suspected to have obtained the Passports through false verification report from the police officials. 5. On 21.04.2024, the parents of the Petitioner namely Hardev Singh and Surbir Kaur were detained at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai and subsequently arrested. During the investigation, the father of the Petitioner disclosed that he met one Mr. Irfan, who got their passports made through RPO. However, the passport was never used on his instruction. However, in the year 2023, they met another agent named Vikas, who got their present passport from RPO on the address of Gurgaon. 6. On 28.09.2024 agent named Vikas Chawla was arrested for allegedly facilitating the alleged passport holders in preparation of forged and fabricated identity and residential proofs on the basis of which they had This is a digitally signed order. The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 01/07/2025 at 00:05:44 obtained the passports. 7. It is submitted that the Chargesheet in the present case has already been filed and the cognizance of the matter has been taken qua the other co-accused persons. 8. Learned counsel on behalf of the Applicant submits that the Applicant was 18 years at the time of the incident and was unaware of the actions taken by his parents and was not in the position to understand or influence the same. The Applicant has no criminal history nor has he been accused in any other case. It is further submitted that Applicant was born in India and belongs to a family that fled Afghanistan in 1992 due to persecution and has since been striving to establish a stable life in India. The Applicant has also studied in India and is well-integrated into the Indian society. 9. The Applicant submits that he is willing to join the investigation in the present case. It is further argued that the other co-accused persons, who were also similarly placed and were victims of the Agents, have already been granted bail. 10. It is, therefore, submitted that the Applicant be granted Anticipatory Bail and shall abide by any conditions that may be imposed while granting bail. 11. Learned Additional Public Prosecutor on directions from the Investigating Officer, states that there are as many 343 persons, who had entered into a conspiracy for obtaining the fake passports with the assistance of two Agents and six Police officials. It is argued that looking at the gravity of the offence, Bail may not be granted. 12. Submissions heard and record perused. 13. The accused admittedly is willing to join the investigations and the This is a digitally signed order. The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 01/07/2025 at 00:05:44 other co-accused persons who are similarly placed, have already been granted bail. Considering the nature of allegations, it is directed that that in the event of his arrest, the Petitioner shall be admitted to bail by the Investigating Officer/Arresting Officer subject to the following conditions: (i) The Petitioner shall furnish a personal bond in the sum of Rs.25,000/- with one surety in the like amount to the satisfaction of the Investigating Officer/Arresting Officer; (ii) The petitioner shall furnish his cellphone number to the Investigating Officer on which he may be contacted at any time and shall ensure that the number is kept active and switched-on at all times; (iii) If the petitioner has a passport, he shall surrender the same to the Investigating Officer and shall not travel out of the country without prior permission of the Trial Court; (iv) The petitioner shall not tamper with evidence nor otherwise indulge in any act or omission that is unlawful or that would prejudice the proceedings in the pending trial. 14. The Petition stands disposed of in the above terms, along with the pending Application. NEENA BANSAL KRISHNA, J JANUARY 20, 2025/RS