The High Court · 2025

O R D E R This Bail Application is filed under Section 482 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita.

2. Petitioner is the accused in Crime No.395 of 2025 of Aryanad Police Station, Thiruvananthapuram. The above case is registered against the petitioner alleging offences punishable under Sections 329(3), 351 and 132 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (for short ‘BNS’).

3. The prosecution case is that

15.03.2025, the petitioner pointed his finger at the defacto complainant, who is a Village Officer and threatened him of punitive consequences, for his alleged acts of corruption. Hence it is alleged that the accused B.A No.4460 of 2025 committed the offences. 3

4. Heard counsel for the petitioner and the Public Prosecutor.

5. Counsel appearing for the petitioner submitted that even if the entire allegations are accepted, the ingredients of Section 132 of BNS is not attracted.

6. Public Prosecutor opposed the bail application. The Public Prosecutor also submitted that there is criminal antecedent to the petitioner and he is involved in 19 other cases.

7. It is true that there is criminal antecedent to the petitioner. But, the only non-bailable offence alleged against the petitioner is under Section 132 of BNS. To attract Section 132 of BNS, assault or criminal force is necessary. According to the Public Prosecutor, there is assault as defined in Section 130 of BNS. I do not want to make any observation about the same. B.A No.4460 of 2025 4 Considering the facts and circumstances of the case, I think custodial interrogation of the petitioner is not necessary. The petitioner can be directed to surrender before the Investigating officer. After interrogation, if the arrest is recorded, there can be a direction to release the petitioner on bail.

8. Moreover, it is a well accepted principle that the bail is the rule and the jail is the exception. The Hon'ble Supreme Court in Chidambaram. P v Directorate of Enforcement [2019 (16) SCALE 870], after considering all the earlier judgments, observed that, the basic jurisprudence relating to bail remains the same inasmuch as the grant of bail is the rule and refusal is the exception so as to ensure that the accused has the opportunity of securing fair trial.

9. Recently the Apex Court in Siddharth v State of Uttar Pradesh and Another [2021(5)KHC 353] considered the point in detail. The relevant B.A No.4460 of 2025 5 paragraph of the above judgment is extracted hereunder. “12. We may note that personal liberty is an important aspect of our constitutional mandate. The occasion to arrest an accused during investigation arises when custodial investigation becomes necessary or it is a heinous crime or where there is a possibility of influencing the witnesses or accused may abscond. Merely because an arrest can be made because it is lawful does not mandate that arrest must be made. A distinction must be made between the existence of the power to arrest and the justification for exercise of it. (Joginder Kumar v. State of UP and Others (1994 KHC 189: (1994) 4 SCC 260: 1994 (1) KLT 919: 1994 (2) KLJ 97: AIR 1994 SC 1349: 1994 CriLJ 1981)) If arrest is made routine, it can cause incalculable harm to the reputation and self-esteem of a person. If the Investigating Officer has no reason to believe that the accused will abscond or disobey summons and has, in fact, throughout cooperated with the investigation we fail to appreciate why there should be a compulsion B.A No.4460 of 2025 on the officer to arrest the accused.” 6

10. In Manish Sisodia v. Central Bureau of Investigation [2023 KHC 6961], the Apex Court observed that even if the allegation is one of grave economic offence, it is not a rule that bail should be denied in every case. Considering the dictum laid down in the above decision and considering the facts and circumstances of this case, this Bail Application is allowed with the following directions:

1. The petitioner shall appear before the Investigating Officer within two weeks from today and shall undergo interrogation.

2. After interrogation, Investigating Officer propose to arrest the petitioner, he shall be released on bail on executing a bond for a sum of B.A No.4460 of 2025 Rs.50,000/-(Rupees Fifty Thousand 7 only) with two solvent sureties each for the like sum to the satisfaction of the arresting officer concerned.

3. The petitioner shall appear before Investigating Officer interrogation as and when required. The petitioner shall co-operate with the investigation and shall not, directly or indirectly make any inducement, threat or promise to any person acquainted with the facts of the case so as to dissuade him from disclosing such facts to the Court or to any police officer.

4. Petitioner shall not leave India without permission of the jurisdictional Court. B.A No.4460 of 2025 8

5. Petitioner shall not commit an offence similar to the offence of which he is accused, or suspected, commission of which he is suspected.

6. Needless to mention, it would be well within the powers of the investigating officer to investigate the matter and, if necessary, to effect recoveries on the information, if any, given by the petitioner even while the petitioner is on bail as laid down by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in Sushila Aggarwal v. State (NCT of Delhi) and another [2020 (1) KHC 663].

7. The observations and findings in this order is only for the purpose of deciding this bail application. The principle laid down by this Court in Anzar Azeez v. B.A No.4460 of 2025 9 State of Kerala [2025 SCC OnLine KER 1260] is applicable in this case also.

8. If any of the above conditions are violated by the petitioner, jurisdictional Court can cancel the bail in accordance to law, even though the bail is granted by this Court. The prosecution and the victim are at liberty to approach the jurisdictional Court to cancel the bail, if any of the above conditions are violated. Sd/- P.V.KUNHIKRISHNAN JUDGE AMR