Gurjit Singh v. State of Punjab
Case Details
CRM-M-9225-2025 IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH 1 CRM-M-9225-2025 Reserved on: 04.03.2025 Pronounced on: 12.03.2025 Gurjit Singh ...Petitioner Versus State of Punjab …Respondent CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE ANOOP CHITKARA Present:
Legal Reasoning
evidence might be prima facie sufficient to launch prosecution or to frame charges, but this Court is not considering the evidence at that stage but is analyzing it for the stage of anticipatory bail. An analysis of the above does not justify custodial interrogation or pre- trial incarceration. 9. Given the above, the penal provisions invoked coupled with the primafacie analysis of the nature of allegations and the other factors peculiar to this case, there would be no justifiability for custodial interrogation or the pre-trial incarceration at this stage. Without commenting on the case's merits, in the facts and circumstances peculiar to this case, and for the reasons mentioned above, the petitioner makes a case for bail. 10. Given above, provided the petitioner is not required in any other case, the petitioner shall be released on anticipatory bail in the FIR captioned above subject to furnishing bonds to the satisfaction of the Arresting Officer, and if the matter is before a Court, then the concerned Court and due to unavailability before any nearest Ilaqa Magistrate/duty Magistrate. Before accepting the surety, the concerned Officer/Court must be satisfied that if the accused fails to appear, such surety can produce the accused. 11. While furnishing a personal bond, the petitioner shall mention the following personal identification details: 1. AADHAR number ANJU RANI 2025.03.12 17:19 I attest to the accuracy and integrity of this document Punjab and Haryana High Court Chandigarh 2 3 CRM-M-9225-2025 2. Passport number (If available) and when the attesting officer/court considers it appropriate or considers the accused a flight risk. 3. Mobile number (If available) 4. E-Mail id (If available) 12. This order is subject to the petitioner’s complying with the following terms. The petitioner shall abide by all statutory bond conditions and appear before the concerned Court(s) on all dates. The petitioner 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. 13. The petitioner is directed to join the investigation within seven days of uploading this order on the official webpage of the High Court of Punjab and Haryana and as and when called by the Investigator. The petitioner shall be in deemed custody for Section 27 of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872/ Section 23 of BSA, 2023. The petitioner shall join the investigation as and when called by the Investigating Officer or any Superior Officer and shall cooperate with the investigation at all further stages as required. In the event of failure to do so, the prosecution will be open to seeking cancellation of the bail. During the investigation, the petitioner shall not be subjected to third-degree, indecent language, inhuman treatment, etc. 14. In case the Investigator/Officer-In-Charge of the concerned Police Station arraigns another section of any penal offense in this FIR, and if the new section prescribes a maximum sentence that is not greater than the sections mentioned above, then this bail order shall be deemed to have also been passed for the newly added section(s). However, suppose the newly inserted sections prescribe a sentence exceeding the maximum sentence prescribed in the sections mentioned above; then, in that case, the Investigator/Officer-In-Charge shall give the petitioner notice of a minimum of seven days, providing an opportunity to avail the remedies available in law. 15. It is clarified that if the petitioner violates any bail condition, the State and/or the victim may file an application for bail cancellation before the trial court, which shall be competent to cancel the bail or add more conditions. Furthermore, if the petitioner moves for deletion or dilution of any bail conditions, the trial court is empowered to do so. 16. This bail is conditional, and the foundational condition is that if the petitioner indulges in any non-bailable offense, the State may file an application for cancellation of this bail before the Sessions Court, which shall have the liberty to cancel this bail. 17. Any observation made hereinabove is neither an expression of opinion on the case's merits nor shall the trial Court advert to these comments. ANJU RANI 2025.03.12 17:19 I attest to the accuracy and integrity of this document Punjab and Haryana High Court Chandigarh 3 CRM-M-9225-2025 18. A certified copy of this order would not be needed for furnishing bonds, and any Advocate for the Petitioner can download this order along with case status from the official web page of this Court and attest it to be a true copy. If the attesting officer wants to verify its authenticity, such an officer can also verify its authenticity and may download and use the downloaded copy for attesting bonds. 4 19. Petition allowed in terms mentioned above. All pending applications, if any,
Arguments
Mr. Ashish Aggarwal, Advocate for the petitioner. Mr. Akshay Kumar, AAG, Punjab. ANOOP CHITKARA, J. **** FIR No. Dated Police Station Sections 132 20.12.2024 Mehta, District 304 BNS 2023 Amritsar Rurl 1. The petitioner apprehending arrest in the FIR captioned above has come up before this Court under Section 482 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, [BNSS], seeking anticipatory bail. 2. In paragraph 2 of the bail petition, the accused declares that he has no criminal antecedents. 3. The facts and allegations are being taken from the reply filed by the State, which reads as follows: “3. That the brief and relevant facts of the case are that the aforesaid FIR No. 132 dated 20.12.2024 was registered on the basis of a the statement of Vikram Singh, Security Officer Chetak Enterprises Pvt. Ltd. alleging therein that in the intervening night of 18/19.12.2024, he along with his friend Ravi Kumar and some labourers were present at the bridge of Mattewal relating to the construction work, at about 02:00 AM, five haircut youngsters came on Mahindra Pick Up No. PB02-DQ-8821 who were armed with datars, kirpan, gandasi started beating the labourers and snatched 10 iron plates from the working site. The detailed facts mentioned in the aforesaid statement have been reproduced in the true translation of FIR, attached with the petition as Annexure P-1, which may ANJU RANI 2025.03.12 17:19 I attest to the accuracy and integrity of this document Punjab and Haryana High Court Chandigarh 1 CRM-M-9225-2025 2 kindly be read as part of the present paragraph as same are not repeated here for the sake of brevity.” 4. The petitioner's counsel prays for bail by imposing any stringent conditions and contends that further pre-trial incarceration would cause an irreversible injustice to the petitioner and their family. 5. 6. The State’s counsel opposes bail and refers to the reply. It would be appropriate to refer to the following portions of the reply, which read as follows: “That during the investigation, the investigating officer received a secret information that the petitioner in connivance with his accomplices had snatched 10 iron plates on Mahindra Pickup No. PB02-DQ-8821 and the aforesaid Mahindra Pickup No. PB02-DQ-8821 is also owned by the petitioner. On the basis of the aforesaid information, the petitioner was nominated in the present case vide G.D No. 13 dated 31.12.2024.” REASONING: 7. 8. Allegations are of snatching of iron plates. Pre-trial incarceration should not be a replica of post-conviction sentencing. The
Decision
stand disposed of. 12.03.2025 anju rani Whether speaking/reasoned: Yes No. Whether reportable: (ANOOP CHITKARA) JUDGE ANJU RANI 2025.03.12 17:19 I attest to the accuracy and integrity of this document Punjab and Haryana High Court Chandigarh 4