The High Court
Case Details
CRM-M-5316-2025 IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH CRM-M-5316-2025 Reserved on: 04.02.2025 Pronounced on: 14.02.2025 Ashwani ...Pe(cid:12)(cid:12)oner Versus State of Haryana …Respondent CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE ANOOP CHITKARA Present: Mr. Sandeep Singh Ja(cid:30)an, Advocate, for the pe(cid:12)(cid:12)oner.
Legal Reasoning
Mr. Aashish Bishnoi, DAG, Haryana. ANOOP CHITKARA, J. **** FIR No. Dated Police Sta0on Sec0ons 8 07.01.2025 Ambala Can(cid:30). Dis(cid:30). Ambala 21 of NDPS Act (Sec(cid:12)on 29 of NDPS Act added lateron) 1. The pe(cid:12)(cid:12)oner incarcerated in the FIR cap(cid:12)oned above had come up before this Court under Sec(cid:12)on 483 of Bhara(cid:12)ya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, [BNSS], seeking regular bail. 2. As per paragraph 11 of the bail pe(cid:12)(cid:12)on and as per the custody cer(cid:12)ficate dated 02.02.2025, the accused has the following criminal antecedents: Sr. No. 1. 2. 3. 4. FIR No. 317 359 331 136 5. 405 Police Sta0on Dated Offenses 21.10.2017 148, 149, 323, 506 IPC Mahesh Nagar, Ambala 23.07.2022 25(1A), 25(6) of Arms Act Mahesh Nagar, Ambala Mahesh Nagar, Ambala 08.09.2024 21, 29 of NDPS Act Mahesh Nagar, District 14.03.2023 Ambala Ambala City, Ambala 13-A, 3-67 of the Gambling Act 21, 29 of NDPS Act 14.11.2024 District 3. As per the FIR, on 07.01.2025, based on secret informa(cid:12)on, the Police seized 14 grams of heroin from the possession of co-accused Shahrukh Khan @ Kaka. The said accused disclosed in his disclosure statement that he purchased the said heroin from the pe(cid:12)(cid:12)oner. The Inves(cid:12)gator claims to have complied with all the statutory requirements of the NDPS Act, 1985, and BNSS, 2023. 4. The pe(cid:12)(cid:12)oner’s counsel submits that the name of the pe(cid:12)(cid:12)oner has been JYOTI 2025.02.15 12:31 I attest to the accuracy and integrity of this order/judgment. 1 CRM-M-5316-2025 surfaced on the basis of disclosure statement of co-accused Shahrukh Khan @ Kaka. He further submits that the pe(cid:12)(cid:12)oner had no connec(cid:12)on with the alleged recovery and nothing has been recovered from the pe(cid:12)(cid:12)oner. The pe(cid:12)(cid:12)oner's counsel prays for bail by imposing any stringent condi(cid:12)ons and contends that further pre-trial incarcera(cid:12)on would cause an irreversible injus(cid:12)ce to the pe(cid:12)(cid:12)oner and his family. 5. The State’s counsel opposes bail. REASONING: 6. Given the quan(cid:12)ty the rigors of S. 37 of the NDPS Act do not apply in the present case. 7. Sec(cid:12)on 2 (vii-a) of the NDPS Act defines commercial quan(cid:12)ty as the quan(cid:12)ty greater than the quan(cid:12)ty specified in the schedule. Sec(cid:12)on 2 (xxiii-a) defines a small quan(cid:12)ty as a quan(cid:12)ty less than the quan(cid:12)ty specified in the table of the NDPS Act. The remaining quan(cid:12)ty falls in an undefined category, generally called an intermediate quan(cid:12)ty. All sec(cid:12)ons in the NDPS Act specify an offence and men(cid:12)on the minimum and maximum sentence, depending upon the quan(cid:12)ty of the substance. The commercial quan(cid:12)ty mandates a minimum sentence of ten years of imprisonment and a minimum fine of Rupees One hundred thousand, and bail is subject to the riders mandated in S. 37 of the NDPS Act. When the quan(cid:12)ty is less than commercial, the restric(cid:12)ons of Sec(cid:12)on 37 of the NDPS Act will not a(cid:30)ract, and the factors for bail become similar to the offence regular statutes. 8. The prolonged incarcera(cid:12)on, generally militates against the most precious fundamental right guaranteed under Ar(cid:12)cle 21 of the Cons(cid:12)tu(cid:12)on and in such a situa(cid:12)on, the condi(cid:12)onal liberty must override the statutory embargo created under Sec(cid:12)on 37(1)(b)(ii) of the NDPS Act1. 9. The pre-trial incarcera(cid:12)on should not be a replica of post-convic(cid:12)on sentencing. There is sufficient primafacie evidence connec(cid:12)ng the pe(cid:12)(cid:12)oner with the alleged crime. However, as per paragraph 3 of the bail pe(cid:12)(cid:12)on, the pe(cid:12)(cid:12)oner has been in custody since 08.01.2025. As per the custody cer(cid:12)ficate dated 02.02.2025, the pe(cid:12)(cid:12)oner’s total custody in this FIR is around one month. Given the penal provisions invoked viz-a-viz pre- trial custody, coupled with the primafacie analysis of the nature of allega(cid:12)ons, and the other factors peculiar to this case, there would be no jus(cid:12)fiability for further pre-trial incarcera(cid:12)on at this stage. 1 Supreme Court of India, in Rabi Prakash v. The State of Odisha, SLP (Crl) 4169-2023, Para 4, decided on 13 July 2023 JYOTI 2025.02.15 12:31 I attest to the accuracy and integrity of this order/judgment. 2 CRM-M-5316-2025 10. Without commen(cid:12)ng on the case's merits, in the facts and circumstances peculiar to this case, and for the reasons men(cid:12)oned above, the pe(cid:12)(cid:12)oner makes a case for bail. This order shall come into force from the (cid:12)me it is uploaded on the official webpage of this Court. CONDITIONS: 11. Given above, provided the pe(cid:12)(cid:12)oner is not required in any other case, the pe(cid:12)(cid:12)oner shall be released on bail in the FIR cap(cid:12)oned above subject to furnishing bonds to the sa(cid:12)sfac(cid:12)on of the concerned Court and due to unavailability before any nearest Ilaqa Magistrate/duty Magistrate. Before accep(cid:12)ng the surety, the concerned Court must be sa(cid:12)sfied that if the accused fails to appear, such surety can produce the accused. 12. While furnishing a personal bond, the pe(cid:12)(cid:12)oner shall men(cid:12)on the following personal iden(cid:12)fica(cid:12)on details: 1. AADHAR number 2. Passport number (If available) and when the a(cid:30)es(cid:12)ng officer/court considers it appropriate or considers the accused a flight risk. 3. Mobile number (If available) E-Mail id (If available) 4. 13. This order is subject to the pe(cid:12)(cid:12)oner’s complying with the following terms. 14. The pe(cid:12)(cid:12)oner shall abide by all statutory bond condi(cid:12)ons and appear before the concerned Court(s) on all dates. The pe(cid:12)(cid:12)oner shall not tamper with the evidence, influence, browbeat, pressurize, induce, threaten, or promise, directly or indirectly, any witnesses, Police officials, or any other person acquainted with the facts and circumstances of the case or dissuade them from disclosing such facts to the Police or the Court. 15. The possibility of the accused influencing the inves(cid:12)ga(cid:12)on, tampering with evidence, in(cid:12)mida(cid:12)ng witnesses, and the likelihood of fleeing jus(cid:12)ce can be taken care of by imposing elabora(cid:12)ve and stringent condi(cid:12)ons. In Sushila Aggarwal v. State (NCT of Delhi), 2020:INSC:106 [Para 92], (2020) 5 SCC 1, Para 92, the Cons(cid:12)tu(cid:12)onal Bench held that unusually, subject to the evidence produced, the Courts can impose restric(cid:12)ve condi(cid:12)ons. 16. Given the background of allega(cid:12)ons against the pe(cid:12)(cid:12)oner, it becomes paramount to protect the detec(cid:12)on staff, members of society, and incapacita(cid:12)ng the accused would be one of the primary op(cid:12)ons un(cid:12)l the filing of the closure report or JYOTI 2025.02.15 12:31 I attest to the accuracy and integrity of this order/judgment. 3 CRM-M-5316-2025 discharge, or acqui(cid:30)al. Consequently, it would be appropriate to restrict the possession of firearms. [This restric(cid:12)on is being imposed based on the preponderance of the evidence of probability and not of evidence of certainty, i.e., beyond a reasonable doubt; and as such, it is not to be construed as an intermediate sanc(cid:12)on]. Given the nature of the allega(cid:12)ons and the other circumstances peculiar to this case, the pe(cid:12)(cid:12)oner shall surrender all weapons, firearms, and ammuni(cid:12)on, if any, along with the arms license to the concerned authority within fiOeen days of release from prison and inform the Inves(cid:12)gator of the compliance. However, subject to the Indian Arms Act, 1959, the pe(cid:12)(cid:12)oner shall be en(cid:12)tled to renew and reclaim them in case of acqui(cid:30)al in this case, provided otherwise permissible under the concerned rules. Restric(cid:12)ng firearms would ins(cid:12)ll confidence in the vic(cid:12)m(s), their families, and society; it would also restrain the accused from influencing the witnesses and repea(cid:12)ng the offense. 17. This bail is condi(cid:13)onal, and the founda(cid:13)onal condi(cid:13)on is that if the pe(cid:13)(cid:13)oner indulges in any non-bailable offense, the State may file an applica(cid:13)on for cancella(cid:13)on of this bail before the Sessions Court, which shall have the liberty to cancel this bail. 18. The concerned trial court is authorized to delete, modify, or relax any of the above condi(cid:12)ons and shall be competent to do so in accordance with the law. 19. Any observa(cid:12)on made hereinabove is neither an expression of opinion on the case's merits nor shall the trial Court advert to these comments. 20. A cer(cid:12)fied copy of this order would not be needed for furnishing bonds, and any Advocate for the Pe(cid:12)(cid:12)oner can download this order along with case status from the official web page of this Court and a(cid:30)est it to be a true copy. If the a(cid:30)es(cid:12)ng officer wants to verify its authen(cid:12)city, such an officer can also verify its authen(cid:12)city and may download and use the downloaded copy for a(cid:30)es(cid:12)ng bonds. 21. Pe00on allowed in terms men(cid:12)oned above. All pending applica(cid:12)ons, if any,
Decision
stand disposed of. 14.02.2025 Jyo0-II Whether speaking/reasoned: Whether reportable: Yes No. (ANOOP CHITKARA) JUDGE JYOTI 2025.02.15 12:31 I attest to the accuracy and integrity of this order/judgment. 4