High Court
Case Details
Neutral Citation No. - 2025:AHC:72281 Court No. - 67 Case :- CRIMINAL MISC. ANTICIPATORY BAIL APPLICATION U/S 482 BNSS No. - 3222 of 2025 Applicant :- Akhilesh Singh Opposite Party :- State of U.P. Counsel for Applicant :- Dhirendra Pratap Singh Counsel for Opposite Party :- G.A. Hon'ble Chandra Dhari Singh,J. 1. The instant bail application under Section 482 of B.N.S.S. has been filed on behalf of applicant for anticipatory bail in Case Crime No. 34708 of 2024 arising out of Case Crime No. 383 of 2023, under Sections 279, 304 IPC, Police Station Chauri Chaura, District Gorakhpur. 2. The learned counsel appearing for the applicant submits that the applicant is innocent and has not committed any offence as alleged in the F.I.R. It is submitted that entire contents of the F.I.R. are based on the false and fabricated facts. He has vehemently submitted that on the date of the incident he was not driving the said vehicle by which the four years girl child was died. It is submitted that actually one Mr. Upendra Yadav was driving the vehicle when the incident has taken place. On receiving the information regarding the accident, he reached on the spot and then he was caught by public and, therefore, he was wrongly implicated in the said case. He further submitted that initially the F.I.R. was lodged on 16.8.2023 for offence punishable under Sections 279 and 304A IPC. Since the offence under which the initial F.I.R. was lodged were bailable offences, therefore, he got bail on spot by the S.H.O./I.O. Later on the investigation completed and charge sheet was filed under Section 209 and 304 IPC. It is submitted that there are no credible material to link the applicant for offence punishable under Section 279/304 IPC. It is further submitted that since he is innocent person and there are no credible evidence available on record and also undertaken to abide all the terms and conditions imposed by this Court while releasing him on bail. The applicant has no previous criminal history. 3. Cognizance has been taken by the court concerned on 20.7.2024. Since he was not aware about the cognizance order, therefore, he could not approach before this Court just after the cognizance order. He has filed the instant application after receiving information regarding the summoning order dated 26.8.2024 issued by the court concerned. He further submits that in view of the facts and circumstances of the case, the prayer which has been made in the said application may be allowed and he may be released on the anticipatory bail in the instant matter.
Legal Reasoning
4. Per contra learned A.G.A. appeared on behalf of the State vehemently opposed and submitted that the applicant has not come before this Court with clean hands. It is submitted that the applicant was driving the offending school van carrying school students without having a valid driving licence and he was also not authorised by the school for driving the said van. It is also further submitted that there are no force in the argument of the learned counsel appearing on behalf of applicant that he was not driving the vehicle at the day when the incident has taken place and the same was driven by one Upendra Yadav. Learned A.G.A. for strengthening his arguments has referred the statement of mother of deceased namely, Puja Devi, who was the eye witness of the incident. In the statement, she has stated that the applicant was driving the vehicle and when the deceased got down from the van, he has driven the van forward, due to that the girl was crushed. She has identified the applicant as a van driver. Learned A.G.A. further submitted that small girl child was crushed to death due to the gross negligence of the applicant, who was not authorised person to drive the vehicle as he does not have driving licence. It is further submitted that the applicant is not cooperating with investigation. There are great apprehension that he may influence the investigation/trial upon getting the bail as he belongs to influential family. 5. It is submitted that after taking the seriousness of offence, credible material on record which prima facie connect the applicant with the commission of offence, injuries sustained by four years girl child, the applicant does not deserve any leniency by this Court. The instant bail application may be dismissed as devoid of merit. 6. Heard learned counsel appearing for the applicant, learned A.G.A. for the State. Perused the material on record. 7. For ready reference the statement of Smt. Puja Devi, mother of the deceased is quoted herein below: "बययान चश्मददीद गवयाह………….. शदीमतदी पपूजया ददेवदी पत्नदी ववशयाल पयासवयान वनवयाससनदी कक सकलदी थयानया चचौरदी चचौरया जनपद गगोरखपकर उ् 23 वरर बदररययाफ्त पपूछनदे पर बतया रहदी हहै वक सयाहब मदेरदी लड़ककी ररयया कक मयारदी आज रगोज ककी तरह अपनदे स्कपू ल मम पढ़नदे कदे सलयदे गयदी थदी। छक टदी हगोनदे कदे बयाद स्कपू ल गयाड़दी सदे मदेरदी लड़ककी घर कदे सलयदे आ रहदी थदी वक करदीब 02.00 सदे 02.30 बजदे स्कपू ल वयाहन कदे चयालक कदे दयारया गयाड़दी कया हयानर बजयायया मम अपनदे घर सदे वनक कर दरवयाजदे पर आयदी तगो ददेखदी वक स्कपू ल गयाड़दी कया डड याइवर अपनदी गयाड़दी कगो रगोकया जहैसदे हदी मदेरदी लड़ककी गयाड़दी सदे उतरदे लगदी तभदी डड याइवर अपनदी गयाड़दी कगो तदेजदी सदे आगदे बढ़या वदयया, मदेरदी लड़ककी वगर गयदी और गयाड़दी कया चक्कया उसकदे ऊपर चढ़ गयया , तब मम भयागतदे हहयदे अपनदी लड़ककी कदे पयास आयदी तगो ददेखया ककी उसदे अअंदकरदीनदी पयाण घयातक चगोटदे आयदी हहै अपनदी लड़ककी ककी हयालत ददेखतदे हहए ममनदे वचलयानया शकरु वकयया आसपयास कदे लगोग आयदे तगो गयाडदी कया चयालक असखलदेश ससअंह पक्ቔ वदनदेश ससअंह वनवयासदी गयाम इबयावहमपकर थयानया चचौरदी चचौरया गगोरखपकर अपनदी गयाडदी कगो लदेकर भयाग गयया कक छ ददेर बयाद मदेरदे पवत भदी आ गयदे मदेरदी लड़ककी कगो तत्कयाल मचौकदे पर मचौजपूद लगोगोሙ ककी सहयायतया सदे उसदे सजलया अस्पतयाल गगोरखपकर लदे गयदे वहयााሺ कदे डडॉक्टर दयारया मदेरदी लड़ककी कगो ममृत घगोवरत कर वदयया गयया। सयाहब स्कपू ल गयाड़दी कगो स्कपू ल कदे मयासलक कया लड़कया असखलदेश चलया रहया थया जगो लगोगोሙ नदे ददेखया तया उन्हीሻ कदे दयारया बतयायया।" 8. For ready reference the statement of Israwati Devi, owner of the vehicle, is quoted herein below: "बययान वयाहन स्वयामदी. इसरयावतदी ददेवदी पत्नदी वदनदेश ससअंह उ् करदीब 45 वरर वनवयाससनदी गयाम इबयावहमपकर थयानया चचौरदी चचौरया जनपद गगोरखपकर सदे अवभयगोग उपरगो्ሹ तथया दकघरटनया कदे समय वयाहन चयालक कदे ववरय मम पपूछतयाछ करनदे पर बतया रहदी हम वक सयाहब जब सदे दकघरटनया कदे ववरय मम मकझदे जयानकयारदी वमलदी हहै मम स्वयअं बहहत हदी व्यसथत हह ाሺ। सयाहब दकघरटनया कदे वदन रगोज ककी भयाअंवत बच्चोሙ कदे स्कपू ल ककी छक टदी हगोनदे कदे उपरयाअंत छगोटदे बच्चोሙ कगो उनकदे घर छगोड़नया थया। स्कपू ल वहैन कया चयालक कहीሻ चलया गयया थया और मचौकया पयाकर मदेरया छगोटया पक्ቔ असखलदेश ससअंह छगोटदे बच्चोሙ कगो वहैन पर बहैठकर उनकदे घर छगोड़नदे कदे सलए चलया गयया। और मकझदे जयानकयारदी वमलदी हहै वक वह कक सकलदी गयाअंव कदे ववशयाल पयासवयान ककी पक्ቔदी ररयया कगो उसकदे घर कदे सयामनदे उतयारया और इस दचौरयान गयाड़दी चलया ददेनदे कदे कयारण वह छगोटदी बच्चदी गयाड़दी कदे नदीचदे आ गई और उसदे गम्भदीर चगोट लग गई। तत्कयाल उसकदे घर वयालदे उसदे लदेकर इलयाज हदेतक गगोरखपकर गए जहयाअं पर डयाक्टरोሙ दयारया उसदे ममृत घगोवरत कर वदयया गयया। सयाहब मदेरया लड़कया असखलदेश करदीब 18-19 वरर कया हहै और वयाहन चलयानदे मम वनपकण नहीሻ हहै तथया उसकदे पयास डड याइववअंग लयाइसमस भदी नहीሻ हहै वफिर भदी वह उस वदन वयाहन कगो हम लगोगोሙ ककी वबनया जयानकयारदी कदे लदेकर चलया गयया और दकघरटनया हगोनदे सदे यह अनहगोनदी हगो गई। इस पकयार अपनया बययान ददे रहदी हम सजसदे अअंवकत वकयया गयया नगोवटस 170 सदीआरपदीसदी तयावमल करयाई गई सजसदे सअंल्ሿ रगोजनयामचया खयास वकयया जया रहया हहै तथया उनकदे दयारया सलसखत मम भदी बययान सलयया गयया सजसकया अवलगोकन वकयया जया रहया हहै।" 8. For ready reference injury report is quoted herein below: "अवलगोकन पदीएम ररपगोटर. सअंस्थया कया नयाम बदीआरडदी मदेवडकल कयालदेज गगोरखपकर वदनयाअंक 17.08.2023 शव ववच्छदेदन आख्यया सअंख्यया 1885. शव ववच्छदेदन करनदे वयालदे वचवकत्सया असधिकयारदी कया नयाम एवअं तहैनयातदी कया स्थयान डयाक्टर चअं्ቖभयान ययादव DW जदीकदे पदी। शव ववच्छदेदन पयारअंभ करनदे कया वदनयाअंक व समय 17.08.2023 समय 4.30 PM शव ववच्छदेदन परदी्ቌण कगो पपूरया करनदे कया वदनयाअंक व समय 17.08.2023 समय 4.55 PM ममृतक कया नयाम ररयया पक्ቔदी ववशयाल पयासवयान पयासदी वनवयासदी कक सकलदी थयानया चचौरदी चचौरया जनपद गगोरखपकर। उ् लगभग 04 वरर, मवहलया, शव लयानदे वयालदे एवअं पहचयान करयानदे वयालदे पकसलसकमኍ कया नयाम एवअं पददः कयाअंस्टदेबल रयामचअं्ቖ ययादव , कयाअंस्टदेबल कक अं वर ववजय ससअंह थयानया चचौरदी चचौरया जनपद गगोरखपकर। ममृत्यक कया कयारण और पकयारदः कगोमया एअंटदीमयाटरम इअंजरदी। वचवकत्सया असधिकयारदी कया नयाम डयाक्टर चअं्ቖभयान ययादव आई सजरन DW जदीकदे पदी। सकलभ सअंदभर हदेतक पदीएम ररपगोटर कगो मपूल रूप मम सअंल्ሿ रगोजनयामचयाखयास वकयया जया रहया हहै।" 9. Taking the consideration of the aforesaid statements, injury report and the case diary, it is evidently clear that neither the applicant had a valid driving licence nor he was authorised to drive the offending vehicle at the time of the incident. The injuries sustained by four year girl were grievous in nature as she was crushed by the applicant while driving the school van. He is owner of the van. I am convinced with the arguments advanced by learned A.G.A. that if he will get anticipatory bail, he will try his level best to delay the trial or influence the trial. 10. There are credible evidence to connect the applicant to the instant offence. The offence committed by the applicant is grievous in nature. The applicant has failed to make out any case for granting anticipatory bail. 11. In view of the foregoing discussions, the present anticipatory bail application is devoid of merit and accordingly dismissed. Digitally signed by :- MANISH TRIPATHI High Court of Judicature at Allahabad Order Date :- 5.5.2025/Kumar Manish (Chandra Dhari Singh,J.)