High Court
Case Details
Court No. - 50 Neutral Citation No. - 2025:AHC:107485 Case :- CRIMINAL MISC. BAIL APPLICATION No. - 14018 of 2025 Applicant :- Jay Bajpai Alias Jay Kant Bajpai Opposite Party :- State of U.P. Counsel for Applicant :- Bhavesh Singh Jadaun,Satya Dheer Singh Jadaun Counsel for Opposite Party :- G.A. Hon'ble Ajay Bhanot,J. Counter affidavit filed by Shri Vikas Sahai, learned A.G.A. is taken in the record. This is the third bail application. By means of this bail application the applicant has prayed to be enlarged on bail in Case Crime No.238 of 2020 at Police Station-Kakadev, District-Kanpur Nagar under Sections 420, 467, 468, 471, 120B IPC. The applicant is in jail since 20.07.2020.
Facts
The first and second bail applications of the applicant was rejected by this Court on 20.04.2023 and 08.07.2024 respectively.
Legal Reasoning
by this Court in Arvind Singh v. State of U.P. Thru. Prin. Secy. Home Deptt. (Application U/S 482 No.2613 of 2023). The learned trial court shall ensure that the right of bail of the applicant granted by this Court is not frustrated by arbitrary demands of sureties or onerous conditions which are unrelated to the socioeconomic status of the applicant. It is further directed that in case the accused does not cooperate in the trial or adopts dilatory tactics, the learned trial court shall record a finding to this effect and cancel the bail without recourse to this Court. Order Date :- 8.7.2025 Ashish Tripathi Digitally signed by :- ASHISH NAYAN TRIPATHI High Court of Judicature at Allahabad
Arguments
The following arguments made by Shri Satya Dheer Singh Jadaun, learned counsel on behalf of the applicant, which could not be satisfactorily refuted by Shri Vikas Sahai, learned A.G.A. from the record, entitle the applicant for grant of bail: 1. The applicant is a law abiding citizen who cooperated in the investigation and has joined the trial proceedings. The applicant never tampered with the evidence nor did he influence any witness. 2. The applicant did not adopt dilatory tactics or impede the progress of the trial in any manner. 3. The trial is moving at a snail's pace and and shows no sign of early conclusion. The applicant cannot be faulted for the delay in the trial. 4. The affidavit filed by the State discloses that 11 prosecution witnesses including the material witnesses of fact have already been examined. There is no possibility of the applicant influencing the said witnesses. 5. Prosecution witnesses are deliberately delaying the trial only to prolong the incarceration of the applicant. 6. Inordinate delay in concluding trial has lead to an indefinite detention of the applicant without there being any credible evidence to implicate him in the offence. Right of the applicant to a speedy trial has been violated. 7. The applicant has already been enlarged in the primary case under Section 302 IPC which arose out of the same offence. 8. Explaining the criminal history of the applicant, it is contended that the applicant has assailed the order of conviction under the U.P. Gangster and Anti Social Activities (Prevention) Act, 1986 before this Court and has sanguine hopes of succeeding in the appeal. The aforesaid conviction has no bearing on the instant bail application. 9. Continued incarceration of the applicant will disable him from crafting an effective defence strategy and prevent him from gathering evidence in his support thereof and tendering the same before the learned trial court to establish his innocence. Further detention of the applicant will be detrimental to his defence in the trial and inconsistent with the norms of fairness in criminal processual jurisprudence. 10. This Court in Prabhat Gangwar v. State of U.P. (Criminal Misc. Bail Application No.2586 of 2023) while enlarging an accused on bail examined the right of accused for preparing his defence and gathering evidence to tender the same before the learned trial court for establishing his innocence held: "Nature and gravity of the offence is certainly liable to be considered by the court while considering grant of bail. The Court has also to factor the likelihood of whether the accused committed the offence while deciding a bail application. The court also has to determine in the facts of the case whether the accused needs to be set at liberty to frame his defence and gather evidence to refute the prosecution case and establish his innocence. The bail court has to examine whether continued incarceration would disable the accused from tendering an effective defence of his case. This is a demand of processual fairness in criminal jurisprudence. Setting an accused at liberty at large on this ground cannot be applied mechanically in all cases. The issue has to be considered in the facts and circumstances of each case while doing so. All relevant facts including the evidences in the record, the conduct of the accused during the investigation as well as trial have to be adverted to before a decision is made in this regard." 11. Considering the aforesaid parameters in light of the above facts of this case, I am of the opinion that Prabhat Gangwar (supra) is applicable to the facts of this case. 12. The applicant is not a flight risk. The applicant being a law abiding citizen has always cooperated with the investigation and undertakes to cooperate with the court proceedings. There is no possibility of her influencing witnesses, tampering with the evidence or reoffending. In wake of the preceding discussion and without making any observations on the merits of the case, the bail application is allowed. Let the applicant- Jay Bajpai Alias Jay Kant Bajpai be released on bail in the aforesaid case crime number, on furnishing a personal bond and two sureties each in the like amount to the satisfaction of the court below. The following conditions be imposed in the interest of justice:- (i) The applicant will not tamper with the evidence or influence any witness during the trial. (ii) The applicant will appear before the trial court on the date fixed, unless personal presence is exempted. The learned trial court is directed to fix the sureties after due application of mind in light of the judgement passed