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Punjab-Haryana High Court
Harmandeep Singh Alias Harman vs State Of Punjab on 9 May, 2024
Neutral Citation No:=2024:PHHC:064962
CRM-M-15699-2024
- 1-
IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB & HARYANA
AT CHANDIGARH
222
CRM-M-15699-2024
Date of decision: 09.05.2024
HARMANDEEP SINGH ALIAS HARMAN ....Petitioner
Versus
STATE OF PUNJAB ...Respondent
CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE KULDEEP TIWARI
Present : Ms. Rishma Verma, Advocate
for the petitioner.
Mr. Akshay Kumar, AAG, Punjab.
KULDEEP TIWARI. J.(Oral)
1. Through the instant petition, the petitioner craves for indulgence of this Court for his being enlarged on regular bail, in case FIR No.116 dated 05.06.2014, under Sections 22/27/61/85 of the NDPS Act, registered at Police Station Sadar, Jalandhar.
ALLEGATIONS AGAINST THE PETITIONER
2. A perusal of the FIR reflects that the petitioner, and other two co- accused were arrested by the Police, who were carrying some intoxicating substance, which were later on discovered as diphenoxylate Hydrochloride. The recovery which was effected from the present petitioner was 55 grams of intoxicant powder, and, whereas, from the co-accused Sandeep 150 grams of intoxicant powder was recovered. Therefore, the total recovery which was effected from the three persons falls within the ambit of commercial quantity. Earlier in the instant matter, petitioner was granted bail, however, due to his absence before the learned trial Court concerned, he was declared as proclaimed offender on 13.10.2016. On 1 of 9 ::: Downloaded on - 11-05-2024 12:35:17 ::: Neutral Citation No:=2024:PHHC:064962 CRM-M-15699-2024
- 2- 21.01.2024, the petitioner was finally arrested, and since then he is behind the bars, and is facing trial in the FIR in question.
SUBMISSIONS OF LEARNED COUNSEL FOR THE PETITIONER
3. The learned counsel for the petitioner, in his asking for the hereinabove extracted relief, has made the following submissions:-
(i) The petitioner is suffering from hapatitis-B, and therefore, his condition is very bad, and is unable to do his day-to-day activities in the jail, without any help;
(ii) The co-accused Sandeep was acquitted by the learned trial Court concerned, vide judgment dated 06.03.2017, whereas the third co-
accused Talwinder Singh @ Sonu has in fact died, during the pendency of the trial.
(iii) On the same set of allegations, once the co-accused has earned acquittal, therefore, there is no likelihood that the petitioner shall be convicted;
(iv) Petitioner has suffered incarceration of more than 09 months, as on today.
(v) The petitioner is not involved in any other case. SUBMISSIONS OF THE LEARNED STATE COUNSEL
4. Status report by way of affidavit dated 08.05.2024, of Sh. Sukhninder Singh, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Sub Division V, Cantt Jalandhar, Commissionerate Jalandhar has been filed on behalf of respondent-State. The same is taken on record.
5. Medical status report by way of affidavit dated 08.05.2024, of Sh.
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- 3- Kulwant Singh, Superintendent of Central Jail, Kapurthala has been filed on behalf of respondent-State. The same is taken on record.
6. As per the medical status report, the petitioner is suffering from hapatitis. The relevant part of the report reads as under:-
"On dated 04/03/2024, he was referred to Civil Hospital Kapurthala. He got admitted to Civil Hospital Kapurthala from where he was further referred on dated 06/03/2024 to Government Medical College and Hospital Amritsar and he got admitted the same day. His chief complaint was yellowish discoloration of eyes, fever and bleeding from nose, for which he was treated. All his routine blood tests were done throughout his course of admission, which came out to be normal towards the end of his date of discharge from the GMC Amritsar. His ultrasound abdomen was performed which showed splenomegaly. His CECT abdomen was performed which showed hepatomegaly + hepatitis, abdominal lymphadenopathy, thickened ilio-caecal junction. He was prescribed oral medications for the same. On dated 25/03/2024, he was discharged from Government Medical College and Hospital Amritsar. He was prescribed oral anti-tubercular medicines and other oral medications with all blood tests within normal limits and vitals stable."
7. The learned State counsel has placed on record the custody certificate issued by the Superintendent of Central Jail, District Kapurthala. The same is taken on record. A perusal of the custody certificate reveals that petitioner is not involved in any other case. A perusal of the custody certificate further reveals that the petitioner has suffered incarceration of 09 months, and 23 days, as of today. ANALYSIS
5. Before embarking upon the process of evaluating the arguments addressed by the learned counsels for the parties and penning down any opinion 3 of 9 ::: Downloaded on - 11-05-2024 12:35:18 ::: Neutral Citation No:=2024:PHHC:064962 CRM-M-15699-2024
- 4- upon the instant petition, it is deemed imperative to capture an overview of some significant legal propositions.
6. "Bail is the Rule and Jail is an Exception". This basic principle of criminal jurisprudence was laid down by the Hon'ble Supreme Court, way back in 1978, in its landmark judgment titled "State of Rajasthan V. Balchand alias Baliay", 1977 AIR 2447, 1978 SCR (1) 535. This principle finds its roots in one of the most distinguished fundamental rights, as enshrined in Article 21 of the Constitution of India. Though the underlying objective behind detention of a person is to ensure easy availability of an accused for trial, without any inconvenience, however, in case the presence of an accused can be secured otherwise, then detention is not compulsory.
7. The right to a speedy trial is one of the rights of a detained person. However, while deciding application for regular bail, the Courts shall also take into consideration the fundamental precept of criminal jurisprudence, which is "the presumption of innocence", besides the gravity of offence(s) involved.
8. In "Gurbaksh Singh Sibbia v. State of Punjab", (1980) 2 SCC 565 at 586-588, the purpose of granting bail is set out by the Hon'ble Supreme Court with great felicity as follows:-
"27. It is not necessary to refer to decisions which deal with the right to ordinary bail because that right does not furnish an exact parallel to the right to anticipatory bail. It is, however, interesting that as long back as in 1924 it was held by the High Court of Calcutta in Nagendra v. King Emperor, AIR 1924 Calcutta 476 (479, 480) that the object of bail is to secure the attendance of the accused at the trial, that the proper test to be applied in the solution of the question whether bail should be granted or refused is whether it is probable that the party will appear to take his trial and that it is 4 of 9 ::: Downloaded on - 11-05-2024 12:35:18 ::: Neutral Citation No:=2024:PHHC:064962 CRM-M-15699-2024
- 5- indisputable that bail is not to be withheld as a punishment. In two other cases which, significantly, are the 'Meerut Conspiracy cases observations are to be found regarding the right to bail which deserve a special mention. In K.N. Joglekar v. Emperor, AIR 1931 Allahabad 504 (SB) it was observed, while dealing with Section 498 which corresponds to the present Section 439 of the Code, that it conferred upon the Sessions Judge or the High Court wide powers to grant bail which were not handicapped by the restrictions in the preceding Section 497 which corresponds to the present Section
437. It was observed by the Court that there was no hard and fast rule and no inflexible principle governing the exercise of the discretion conferred by Section 498 and that the only principle which was established was that the discretion should be exercised judiciously. In Emperor v. H.L. Hutchinson, AIR 1931 Allahabad 356 at p. 358 it was said that it was very unwise to make an attempt to lay down any particular rules which bind the High Court, having regard to the fact that the legislature itself left the discretion of the Court unfettered. According to the High Court, the variety of cases that may arise from time to time cannot be safely classified and it is dangerous to make an attempt to classify the cases and to say that in particular classes a bail may be granted but not in other classes. It was observed that the principle to be deduced from the various sections in the Criminal Procedure Code was that grant of bail is the rule and refusal is the exception. An accused person who enjoys freedom is in a much better position to look after his case and to properly defend himself than if he were in custody. As a presumably innocent person he is therefore entitled to freedom and every opportunity to look after his own case. A presumably innocent person must have his freedom to enable him to establish his innocence.
XX XX XX
29. In Gurcharan Singh v. State (Delhi Admn.) (1978) 1 SCC 118 it was observed by Goswami, J., who spoke for the Court, that "there cannot be an inexorable formula in the matter of granting bail. The facts and circumstances of each case will govern the exercise of 5 of 9 ::: Downloaded on - 11-05-2024 12:35:18 ::: Neutral Citation No:=2024:PHHC:064962 CRM-M-15699-2024
- 6- judicial discretion in granting or cancelling bail".
30. In American Jurisprudence (2d, Vol. 8, page 806, para 39) it is stated :
"Where the granting of bail lies within the discretion of the court, the granting or denial is regulated, to a large extent, by the facts and circumstances of each particular case. Since the object of the detention or imprisonment of the accused is to secure his appearance and submission to the jurisdiction and the judgment of the court, the primary inquiry is whether a recognizance or bond would effect that end."
It is thus clear that the question whether to grant bail or not depends for its answer upon a variety of circumstances, the cumulative effect of which must enter into the judicial verdict. Any one single circumstance cannot be treated as of universal validity or as necessarily justifying the grant or refusal of bail."
9. Also, in "Gudikanti Narasimhulu and others Versus Public Prosecutor, High Court of Andhra Pradesh", 1978 AIR (Supreme Court) 429, the Hon'ble Supreme Court, speaking through Krishna Iyer, J., has enunciated the principles of bail thus :
"9. Thus the legal principle and practice validate the court considering the likelihood of the applicant interfering with witnesses for the prosecution or otherwise polluting the process of justice. It is not only traditional but rational, in this context, to enquire into the antecedents of a man who is applying for bail to find whether he has a bad record-particularly a record which suggests that he is likely to commit serious offences while on bail. In regard to habitual, it is part of criminological history that a thoughtless bail order has enabled the bailee to exploit the opportunity to inflict further crimes on the member of society. Bail discretion, on the basis of evidence about the criminal record of a defendant, is therefore not an exercise in irrelevance.
10. The significance and sweep of Article 21 make the deprivation of liberty a matter of grave concern and permissible only when the law 6 of 9 ::: Downloaded on - 11-05-2024 12:35:18 ::: Neutral Citation No:=2024:PHHC:064962 CRM-M-15699-2024
- 7- authorising it is reasonable, even-handed and geared to he goals of community good and State necessity spelt out in Article 19. Indeed, the considerations I have set out as criteria are germane to the constitutional proposition I have deduced. Reasonableness postulates intelligent care and predicates that deprivation of freedom by refusal of bail is not for punitive purpose but for the bi- focal interests of justice - to the individual involved and society affected.
11. We must weight the contrary factors to answer the test the reasonableness, subject to the need for securing the presence of the bail applicant. It makes sense to assume that a man on bail has a better chance to prepare of present his case than one remanded in custody. And if public justice is to be promoted. mechanical detention should be demoted. In the United States, which has a constitutional perspective close to ours, the function of bail is limited, 'community roots' of the applicant are stressed and, after the Vera Foundation's Manhattan Bail Project, monetary suretyship is losing ground. The considerable public expense in keeping in custody where no danger of disappearance or disturbance can arise, is not a negligible consideration. Equally important is the deplorable condition, verging on the inhuman, of our sub-jails, that the unrewarding cruelty and expensive custody of avoidable incarceration makes refusal of bail unreasonable and a policy favouring release justly sensible.
12. A few other weighty factors deserve reference. All deprivation of liberty is validated by social defence and individual correction along an anti-criminal direction. Public justice is central to the whole scheme of bail law. Fleeing justice must be forbidden but punitive harshness should be minimised. Restorative devices to redeem the man, even through community service, meditative drill, study classes or other resources should be innovated, and playing foul with public peace by tampering with evidence, intimidating witnesses or committing offences while on judicially sanctioned 'free enterprise', should be provided against. No seeker of justice shall play confidence tricks on the court or community. Thus, conditions 7 of 9 ::: Downloaded on - 11-05-2024 12:35:18 ::: Neutral Citation No:=2024:PHHC:064962 CRM-M-15699-2024
- 8- may be hung around bail orders, not to cripple but to protect. Such is the holistic jurisdiction and humanistic orientation invoked by the judicial discretion correlated to the values of our Constitution.
13. Viewed from this perspective, we gain a better insight into the rules of the game. When a person, charged with a grave offence, has been acquitted at a stage, has the intermediate acquittal pertinence to a bail plea when the appeal before this Court pends? Yes, it has. The panic which might prompt the accused to jump the gauntlet of justice is less, having enjoyed the confidence of the court's verdit once. Concurrent holdings of guilt have the opposite effect. Again, the ground for denial of provisional release becomes weaker when the fact stares us in the face that a fair finding if that be so - of innocence has been recorded by one court. It may not be conclusive, for the judgment of acquittal may be ex facie wrong, the likelihood of desperate reprisal, if enlarged, may be a deterrent and his own safety may be more in prison than in the vengeful village where feuds have provoked the violent offence. It depends. Antecedents of the man and socio- geographical circumstances have a bearing only from this angle. Police exaggerations of prospective misconduct of the accused, if enlarged, must be soberly sized up lest danger of excesses and injustice creep subtly into the discretionary curial technique. Bad record and policy prediction of criminal prospects to invalidate the bail plea are admissible in principle but shall not stampede the court into a complacent refusal."
10. This Court has examined the instant petition on the touchstone of the hereinabove extracted settled legal principle(s) of law and is of the considered opinion that the instant petition is amenable for being allowed.
11. The reason for forming the above inference emanates from the factum that:- (i) Though the petitioner was declared as proclaimed offender, and remained on a run for about 08 years, however, considering the fact that the co-accused was on 8 of 9 ::: Downloaded on - 11-05-2024 12:35:18 ::: Neutral Citation No:=2024:PHHC:064962 CRM-M-15699-2024
- 9- the same set of allegations, and has earned acquittal, and the petitioner is suffering from serious ailments, therefore, confining the petitioner behind the bars would not serve any purpose; (ii) The petitioner has suffered incarceration of 09 months and 23 days, as of today; (iii) The petitioner is not involved in any other case. (iv) Trial is not likely to conclude anytime soon..
FINAL ORDER
12. Considering the hereinabove made discussion, this Court deems it fit and appropriate to grant the concession of regular bail to the petitioner. Therefore, without commenting upon the merits and circumstances of the present case, the present petition is allowed. The petitioner is ordered to be released on bail on furnishing of bail bond and surety bond to the satisfaction of concerned Chief Judicial Magistrate/trial Court/Duty Magistrate.
13. However, anything observed here-in-above shall have no effect on the merits of the trial, and is only meant for deciding the present petition.
14. All pending application(s) stand disposed of accordingly.
(KULDEEP TIWARI)
09.05.2024 JUDGE
amandeep
Whether speaking/reasoned. : Yes/No
Whether Reportable. : Yes/No
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