Allahabad High Court
Joni vs State Of U.P. on 11 April, 2022
Bench: Sanjay Kumar Pachori
HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT ALLAHABAD
?Court No. - 72
Case :- CRIMINAL MISC. BAIL APPLICATION No. - 1875 of 2022
Applicant :- Joni
Opposite Party :- State of U.P.
Counsel for Applicant :- Pavan Kumar Mishra
Counsel for Opposite Party :- G.A.,Sushil Kumar Pandey
Hon'ble Sanjay Kumar Pachori,J.
Heard Sri Pawan Kumar Mishra, learned counsel for the applicant, Sri Sushil Kumar Pandey, learned counsel for the first informant and learned A.G.A. for the State and perused the material on record.
The present bail application has been filed on behalf of applicant Joni under Section 439 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, with a prayer to release him on bail in Case Crime No. 169 of 2021, for offence punishable under Sections 366, 328, 376 of the Indian Penal Code, registered at Police Station- Mansurpur, District- Muzaffar Nagar, during pendency of the trial, after rejecting the bail application of the applicant by Sessions Judge, Muzaffar Nagar vide order dated 06.12.2021.
Brief facts of the present case are that the first information report dated 13.07.2021 has been lodged against the applicant by mother of the victim stating therein that applicant is the neighbour of the first informant and has enticed away her daughter on the pretext of false promise of marriage. On 12.07.2021 her daughter escaped herself from the clutches of the applicant and came home and told about the incident to the first informant.
After lodging of the first information report, the statement of the victim was recorded under Section 161 of Cr.P.C. on 16.07.2021; victim refused to get herself medically examined: the statement of the victim was recorded under Section 164 Cr.P.C. on 23.07.2021. Second statement of the victim has also been recorded on 23.09.2021. After recording the statement of the prosecution witnesses under Section 161 of Cr.P.C., and after completion of the investigation, the Investigating Officer has submitted charge-sheet against the applicant on 31.12.2021. The applicant was surrendered on 10.11.2021.
Learned counsel for the applicant submits that the applicant is innocent and has been falsely implicated in the present case due to ulterior motive. It is further submitted that victim was admittedly major at the time of the incident. It is further submitted that victim has resided with the applicant at Muzaffar Nagar prior to six months of the lodging of the first information report. It is further submitted that as per the statement of the first informant, the first informant had sent the victim with the applicant on the basis of trust. Applicant is well known to the first informant as well as victim. It is further submitted that there is no date and time of the incident has been mentioned in the F.I.R. and there is no video clip of the incident has been collected by the Investigating Officer during the course of investigation. It is next contended victim refused to get herself medically examined.
He has next argued that the applicant has no previous criminal history and if the applicant is released on bail, he shall not misuse the liberty of bail.
Per contra, learned A.G.A. has supported the order passed by the Sessions court and vehemently opposed the prayer for grant of bail to the applicant and submits that the allegations involved are very serious in nature and the delay in lodging the F.I.R. cannot be said to be fatal to the case at this juncture while considering the application of bail. But he could not point out any material to the contrary. He further submits that in case the applicant is released on bail, he will again indulge in similar activities and will misuse the liberty of bail.
After considering the facts of the present case it prima facie appears that;
(a) As per school certificate the date of birth of the victim is 21.11.2002 and at the time of the incident she was major;
(b) As per the of the statement of the victim recorded under Sections 161 and 164 of Cr.P.C. in which she has stated that she resided with the applicant prior to 6 month of the lodging of the first information report;
(c) As per the second statement of the victim, in which she has stated that she resided with the applicant prior to 9 months of the lodging of the first information report;
(d) No video clip of the incident has been collected by the Investigating Officer during the course of investigation;
(e) Applicant is well known to the first informant as well as victim.
(f) Victim has refused to get herself medically examined;
It is a settled law that while granting bail, the court has to keep in mind the nature of accusation, the nature of the evidence in support thereof, the severity of the punishment which conviction will entail, the character of the accused, the circumstances which are peculiar to the accused, his role and involvement in the offence, his involvement in other cases and reasonable apprehension of the witnesses being tampered with.
Taking into account the totality of facts and keeping in mind, the ratio of the Apex Court's judgment in the case of State of Rajasthan v. Balchand @ Baliay (1977) 4 SCC 308, Gudikanti Narasimhulu And Ors., v. Public Prosecutor, High Court Of Andhra Pradesh, AIR 1978 SC 429, Ram Govind Upadhyay v. Sudarshan Singh & Ors., (2002) 3 SCC 598, Prasanta Kumar Sarkar v. Ashis Chatterjee & Anr., (2010) 14 SCC 496 and Mahipal v. Rajesh Kumar & Anr., (2020) 2 SCC 118, the larger interest of the public/State and other circumstances, but without expressing any opinion on the merits, I am of the view that it is a fit case for grant of bail. Hence, the present bail application is allowed.
Let applicant, Joni be released on bail in the aforesaid case crime number on his furnishing a personal bond and two reliable sureties each in the like amount to the satisfaction of the court concerned subject to the following conditions:
(i) 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 him from disclosing such facts to the court or to any police officer or tamper with the evidence.
(ii) The applicant shall not pressurize/intimidate the prosecution witnesses.
(iii) 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 of Cr.P.C.
(iv) The applicant shall file an undertaking to the effect that he shall not seek any adjournment on the dates fixed for evidence when the witnesses are present in the trial court.
(v) The applicant shall remain present before the trial court on each date fixed, either personally or through his counsel.
(vi) The applicant shall not indulge in any criminal activity or commission of any crime after being released on bail.
In case of breach of any of the above conditions, it shall be a ground for cancellation of bail. If in the opinion of the trial court that absence of the applicant is deliberate or without sufficient cause, then it shall be open for the trial court to treat such default as abuse of liberty of bail and proceed in accordance with law.
The trial court may make all possible efforts/endeavor and try to conclude the trial expeditiously in accordance with law after the release of the applicant, if there is no other legal impediment.
It is made clear that the observations made in this order are limited to the purpose of determination of this bail application and will in no way be construed as an expression on the merits of the case. The trial court shall be absolutely free to arrive at its independent conclusions on the basis of evidence led unaffected by anything said in this order.
The party shall file computer generated copy of such order downloaded from the official website of High Court Allahabad, self attested by the applicant along-with a self attested identity proof of the said person (preferably Aadhar Card) mentioning the mobile number to which the said Aadhar Card is linked.
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 :- 11.4.2022
Ishan
