Gujarat High Court
Imran Kalubhai Pathan vs State Of Gujarat on 12 February, 2025
NEUTRAL CITATION
R/CR.MA/24239/2024 ORDER DATED: 12/02/2025
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IN THE HIGH COURT OF GUJARAT AT AHMEDABAD
R/CRIMINAL MISC.APPLICATION (FOR SUCCESSIVE ANTICIPATORY
BAIL) NO. 24239 of 2024
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IMRAN KALUBHAI PATHAN
Versus
STATE OF GUJARAT
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Appearance:
MR VIRAT G POPAT(3710) for the Applicant(s) No. 1
MS POONAM M MAHETA(11265) for the Respondent(s) No. 2
MR. BHARGAV V. PANDYA, APP for the Respondent(s) No. 1
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CORAM:HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE M. R. MENGDEY
Date : 12/02/2025
ORAL ORDER
1. By way of the present application under Section 482 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, the Applicant has prayed for enlarging the Applicant on anticipatory bail in connection with the F I R be i ng C. R. No. 11210015240015 of 2024 registered with DCB Police Station, Surat City for the offences punishable under Sections 420, 504, 506(2) and 120B of the Indian Penal Code.
2. Heard learned Advocate Mr. Virat G. Popat for the Applicant, learned APP Mr. Bhargav V. Pandya for the Respondent - State and learned Advocate Ms. Poonam M. Maheta appearing on behalf of the Respondent No.2- Original Complainant.
3. Rule. Learned APP waives service of notice of Rule on behalf of the Respondent - State and learned Advocate Ms. Poonam M. Maheta waives service of notice of Rule on behalf of the Original Complainant.
4. Learned Advocate for the Applicant has submitted that the Applicant is Page 1 of 5 Uploaded by J.N. WAGHELA(HC00178) on Thu Feb 13 2025 Downloaded on : Thu Feb 13 22:28:30 IST 2025 NEUTRAL CITATION R/CR.MA/24239/2024 ORDER DATED: 12/02/2025 undefined apprehending arrest in connection the aforesaid FIR and in this connection the earlier application filed by the Applicant before the learned Sessions Court came to be dis-allowed. He submitted that considering the facts stated in the Application, the applicant may be granted anticipatory bail.
5. Per contra, learned APP has opposed the present application for grant of regular bail contending that the Applicant has actively participated in commission of the offence in question. The Applicant herein had procured vehicles from the other co-accused and thereafter had sold those vehicles in scrap and had thus pocketed the money. Learned APP has therefore submitted that looking to the nature of offence, this Court may not exercise the discretion in favour of the applicant and the Application may be dismissed.
6. Learned Advocate Ms. Poonam M. Maheta appearing on behalf of the Original Complainant has also opposed the Application contending that the Applicant had procured the vehicles in question from the other co-accused and thereafter had sold those vehicles in scrap. She therefore submitted to dismiss the Application.
7. Heard learned Advocates for the parties and perused the record. From the record it appears that the Applicant is the brother of the other co-accused namely Irshad. It is alleged atainst hte Applicant that the Applicant had procured vehicles from the said co-accused Irshad which was already sold to the first informant and thereafter the said vehicle had been sold by the Applicant in scrap and had thus pocketed the money. The record also indicates that a Notice under Section 41A of Cr.P.C. came to be issued by the Investigation Officer and pursuant to the said Notice, after the order of this Court dated 28.08.2024, the Applicant had remained present before the Investigating Officer and the Investigation Officer has also recorded his statement. The record also indicates that the investigation qua the other co- accused is over and charge sheet has already been filed.
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8. Having heard the arguments advanced by the learned advocates for the parties and perusing the material placed on record and taking into consideration the facts of the case, nature of allegations, gravity of offence and the role attributed to the accused, I am inclined to grant anticipatory bail to the applicant.
9. This Court has considered following aspects,
(a) as per catena of decisions of Hon'ble Supreme Court there are mainly two factors which are required to be considered by this court;
(i) prima facie case
(ii) requirement of accused for custodial interrogation.
Therefore, in the facts and circumstances of the present case, this court is inclined to consider the case of the applicant.
10. This Court has also taken into consideration the law laid down by the Hon'ble Apex Court in the case of Siddharam Satlingappa Mhetre Vs. State of Maharashtra and Ors., reported at [2011] 1 SCC 694, wherein the Hon'ble Apex Court reiterated the law laid down by the Constitution Bench in the case of Shri Gurubaksh Singh Sibbia & Ors. Vs. State of Punjab, reported at (1980) 2 SCC 565. Further, this Court has also taken into consideration the ratio laid down in the case of Sushila Aggarwal and Ors. v. State (NCT of Delhi) and Anr. in Special Leave Petition No. 7281- 7282/2017 dated 29.01.2020.
10.1 This court has also considered the judgment in the case of Arnesh Kumar v. State of Bihar reported in (2014) 8 SCC 273, wherein the Hon'ble Apex Court has observe that whenever there is punishment of 7 years, then the court would be liberal to exercise the discretion.
11. In the result, the present application is allowed. The applicant is Page 3 of 5 Uploaded by J.N. WAGHELA(HC00178) on Thu Feb 13 2025 Downloaded on : Thu Feb 13 22:28:30 IST 2025 NEUTRAL CITATION R/CR.MA/24239/2024 ORDER DATED: 12/02/2025 undefined ordered to be released on anticipatory bail in the event of arrest in connection with a F I R be i ng No . C. R. No. 11210015240015 of 2024 registered with DCB Police Station, Surat City for the offences punishable under Sections 420, 504, 506(2) and 120B of the Indian Penal Code, on executing a personal bond of Rs.10,000/- (Rupees Ten Thousand Only) with one surety of like amount on the following conditions;
(a) shall cooperate with the investigation and make available for interrogation whenever required;
(b) shall remain present at concerned Police Station on 1 9 . 0 2 . 2 0 2 5 between 12.00 Noon and 2.00 p.m.;
(c) shall not directly or indirectly make any inducement, threat or promise to any person acquainted with the fact of the case so as to dissuade him from disclosing such facts to the court or to any police officer;
(d) shall not obstruct or hamper the police investigation and not to play mischief with the evidence collected or yet to be collected by the police;
(e) shall at the time of execution of bond, furnish the address to the investigating officer and the court concerned and shall not change residence till the final disposal of the case till further orders;
(f) shall not leave India without the permission of the concerned trial court and if having passport shall deposit the same before the concerned trial court within a week; and
12. At the trial, the concerned trial court shall not be influenced by the prima facie observations made by this Court in the present order.
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13. Rule is made absolute to the aforesaid extent. Direct service is permitted.
(M. R. MENGDEY,J) J.N.W / 38 Page 5 of 5 Uploaded by J.N. WAGHELA(HC00178) on Thu Feb 13 2025 Downloaded on : Thu Feb 13 22:28:30 IST 2025