Satya Narayan Singh vs State Of U.P.
2021 Latest Caselaw 1742 ALL

HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT ALLAHABAD
 
 

?Court No. - 73
 

 
Case :- CRIMINAL MISC ANTICIPATORY BAIL APPLICATION U/S 438 CR.P.C. No. - 1846 of 2021
 

 
Applicant :- Satya Narayan Singh
 
Opposite Party :- State of U.P.
 
Counsel for Applicant :- Ashish Kumar Gupta,Haidar Ali
 
Counsel for Opposite Party :- G.A.
 

 
Hon'ble Siddharth,J.

Heard learned counsel for the applicant and learned A.G.A. for the State.

The instant anticipatory bail application has been filed on behalf of the applicant, Satya Narayan Singh, with a prayer to release him on bail in Case Crime No. 315 of 2020, under Section- 419, 420, 467, 468, 471, 406, 504, 506 I.P.C., Police Station- Maduwadeeh, District- Varanasi, during pendency of trial.

Prior notice of this bail application was served in the office of Government Advocate and as per Chapter XVIII, Rule 18 of the Allahabad High Court Rules and as per direction dated 20.11.2020 of this Court in Criminal Misc. Anticipatory Bail Application U/S 438 Cr.P.C. No. 8072 of 2020, Govind Mishra @ Chhotu Versus State of U.P., hence, this anticipatory bail application is being heard. Grant of further time to the learned A.G.A as per Section 438 (3) Cr.P.C. (U.P. Amendment) is not required.

The allegation against the applicant is that he entered into a registered agreement to sell dated 11.10.2012 with the informant after taking Rs. 25,000/- as advance sale consideration for the purpose of sale of his land of plot no. 279 area 625 ft. It was agreed that the total sale consideration would be Rs. 50,000/- and the remaining amount of Rs. 25,000/- shall be paid at the time of execution of sale deed. The sale deed was to be executed within a period of one year from the date of agreement to sell dated 11.10.2012. It has been alleged in the F.I.R that the applicant had taken Rs. 25,000 on 11.10.2012 at the time of execution of agreement to sell and thereafter, he had taken Rs. 1,00,000/- in his own account on 17.10.2013 and Rs. 40,000/- in cash on unspecified date. The applicant has taken a sum of Rs. 1,65,000/- from the informant and has not executed the sale deed. He has come to know that the plot no. 279 which was agreed to be sold by the applicant, is in the name of his wife, Smt. Radhika Singh, and therefore, he has been cheated by the applicant.

Learned counsel for the applicant has submitted that the total sale consideration agreed in the agreement was Rs. 50,000/-. There is no explanation why the applicant gave more amount than agreed in the agreement to sell. He has not filed any suit for specific performance of contract during the period of limitation which has expired in the year 2015. For a time barred cause of action, F.I.R has been lodged only to extract money. The applicant is a 75 years old man and suffering from age related ailments of hypertension, diabetes and renal problem. In case, he is arrested and sent to jail, he will die. The applicant has definite apprehension that he may be arrested by the police any time.

Learned A.G.A. has opposed the prayer for anticipatory bail of the applicant. He has submitted that in view of the seriousness of the allegations made against the applicant, he is not entitled to grant of anticipatory bail. The apprehension of the applicant is not founded on any material on record. Only on the basis of imaginary fear, anticipatory bail cannot be granted.

After hearing the parties, it appears that the applicant had taken Rs. 25,000/- from the informant for the purpose of execution of agreement to sell. There is admission of taking Rs. 25,000/- from the informant in the agreement. Only Rs. 25,000/- was required to be paid more to the applicant by the informant at the time of execution of sale deed and there is no explanation in the F.I.R why he paid Rs. 1,40,000/- more to the applicant. Considering the case of illness of the applicant and his age, he deserves to be granted anticipatory bail. The legal remedy of suit has become barred by time and hence, F.I.R has been lodged by informant to revive a time barred claim.

This Court finds that there is a case registered against the applicant. It cannot be definitely said when the police may apprehend him. After the lodging of F.I.R, the arrest can be made by the police at will. There is no definite period fixed for the police to arrest an accused against whom an F.I.R has been lodged. The courts have repeatedly held that arrest should be the last option for the police and it should be restricted to those exceptional cases where arresting the accused is imperative or his custodial interrogation is required. Irrational and indiscriminate arrests are gross violation of human rights. In the case of Joginder Kumar v. State of Uttar Pradesh AIR 1994 SC 1349, the Apex Court has referred to the third report of National Police Commission wherein it is mentioned that arrests by the police in India is one of the chief source of corruption in the police. The report suggested that, by and large, nearly 60 percent of the arrests were either unnecessary or unjustified and that such unjustified police action accounted for 43.2 percent of expenditure of the jails. Personal liberty is a very precious fundamental right and it should be curtailed only when it becomes imperative. According to the peculiar facts and circumstances of the case, the arrest of an accused should be made.

Hence without expressing any opinion on the merits of the case and considering the nature of accusations and antecedents of applicant, he is directed to be enlarged on anticipatory bail as per the Constitution Bench judgment of the Apex Court in the case of Sushila Aggarwal vs. State (NCT of Delhi)- 2020 SCC Online SC 98. The future contingencies regarding anticipatory bail being granted to applicant shall also be taken care of as per the aforesaid judgment of the Apex Court.

In the event of arrest, the applicant shall be released on anticipatory bail. Let the applicant involved in the aforesaid crime be released on anticipatory bail on furnishing a personal bond with two sureties each in the like amount to the satisfaction of the trial court concerned with the following conditions:-

1. The applicant shall not leave the country during the currency of trial without prior permission from the concerned trial Court.

2. The applicant shall surrender his passport, if any, to the concerned Court forthwith. His passport will remain in custody of the concerned Court.

3. That the applicant shall not, directly or indirectly, make any inducement, threat or promise to any person acquainted with the facts of the case so as to dissuade her from disclosing such facts to the Court or to any police officer;

4. The applicant shall file an undertaking to the effect that he shall not seek any adjournment on the dates fixed for evidence and the witnesses are present in court. In case of default of this condition, it shall be open for the trial court to treat it as abuse of liberty of bail and pass orders in accordance with law to ensure presence of the applicant.

5. In case, the applicant misuses the liberty of bail, the Court concerned may take appropriate action in accordance with law and judgment of Apex Court in the case of Sushila Aggarwal vs. State (NCT of Delhi)- 2020 SCC Online SC 98.

6. The applicant shall remain present, in person, before the trial court on the dates fixed for (i) opening of the case, (ii) framing of charge and (iii) recording of statement under Section 313 Cr.P.C. If in the opinion of the trial court, default of this condition is deliberate or without sufficient cause, then it shall be open for the trial court to treat such default as abuse of liberty of his bail and proceed against him in accordance with law.

7. The party shall file computer generated copy of such order downloaded from the official website of High Court Allahabad.

8. The concerned Court/Authority/Official shall verify the authenticity of such computerized copy of the order from the official website of High Court Allahabad and shall make a declaration of such verification in writing.

Order Date :- 29.1.2021

KS