Allahabad High Court
Krishna Kumar vs Union Of India Thru. Intelligence ... on 9 May, 2022
Bench: Krishan Pahal
HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT ALLAHABAD, LUCKNOW BENCH
?Court No. - 28
Case :- CRIMINAL MISC. BAIL APPLICATION No. - 2831 of 2022
Applicant :- Krishna Kumar
Opposite Party :- Union Of India Thru. Intelligence Officer, Thru.N.C.B Lko.
Counsel for Applicant :- Amit Kumar Awasthi,Sanjay Singh Chauhan
Counsel for Opposite Party :- Akhilesh Kumar Awasthi
Hon'ble Krishan Pahal,J.
Heard Sri Shubham Shukla, learned Advocate holding brief for Sri Amit Kumar Awasthi, learned counsel for the applicant and Sri Akhilesh Kumar Awasthi, learned counsel for N.C.B. and perused the material placed on record.
Applicant seeks bail in Case No. N.C.B./L.Z.U./Crime No. 09 of 2022, U/S 8/22/29 of The Narcotic Drugs And Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, Police Station- N.C.B. Lucknow, District -Lucknow, during the pendency of trial.
As per the allegations of the FIR, the applicant is said to have been arrested on 15.2.2022 by the team of N.C.B. alongwith 324 grams of alprazolam tablets.
Learned counsel for the applicant has argued that the applicant is absolutely innocent and has been falsely implicated in the present case with a view to cause unnecessary harassment and to victimize him. Learned counsel has stated that applicant is the holder of drug license of the said medical store from where he has been arrested. Nothing malafide can be assigned to the applicant pertaining to sale and purchase of the said drugs. The case, if any, made out against the applicant, it is under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. No compliance of Sections 42 and 50 of the NDPS Act, and the Standing Order No. 1/88 of the NCB is made out. Applicant has no criminal history. Several other submissions have been made on behalf of the applicant to demonstrate the falsity of the allegations made against him. The circumstances which, as per counsel, led to the false implication of the applicant have also been touched upon at length. The applicant is languishing in jail since 16.2.2022. In case, the applicant is released on bail, he will not misuse the liberty of bail.
Learned counsel for N.C.B. has vehemently opposed the bail application on the ground that the recovery of the contraband article is of commercial quantity. There is compliance of every mandatory provision of NDPS Act. The provisions of Section 50 of NDPS Act do not apply in the present case, as the said recovery is made from the medical store and not from the personal search of the applicant. However, the counsel could not dispute the fact that applicant has no criminal history and he has valid license except the fact that he could not produce the sale and purchase details of the said drugs.
The Apex Court in the Case of Union of India vs. Shiv Shankar Keshari, (2007) 7 SCC 798 has held that the court while considering the application for bail with reference to Section 37 of the Act is not called upon to record a finding of not guilty. It is for the limited purpose essentially confined to the question of releasing the accused on bail that the court is called upon to see if there are reasonable grounds for believing that the accused is not guilty and records its satisfaction about the existence of such grounds. But the court has not to consider the matter as if it is pronouncing a judgment of acquittal and recording a finding of not guilty.
Considering the facts of the case and keeping in mind, the ratio of the Apex Court's judgment in the case of Union of India vs. Shiv Shankar Keshari (supra) larger mandate of Article 21 of the constitution of India, the nature of accusations, the nature of evidence in support thereof, the severity of punishment which conviction will entail, the character of the accused-applicant, circumstances which are peculiar to the accused, reasonable possibility of securing the presence of the accused at the trial, reasonable apprehension of the witnesses being tampered with, 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.
Let the applicant- Krishna Kumar, who is involved in aforesaid case crime number be released on bail on his furnishing a personal bond and two sureties each in the like amount to the satisfaction of the court concerned subject to following conditions. Further, before issuing the release order, the sureties be verified.
(i) The applicant shall file an undertaking to the effect that he shall not seek any adjournment on the date fixed for evidence when 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.
(ii) The applicant shall remain present before the Trial Court on each date fixed, either personally or through his counsel. In case of his absence, without sufficient cause, the Trial Court may proceed against him under Section 229-A IPC.
(iii) In case, the applicant misuses the liberty of bail during trial and in order to secure his presence proclamation under Section 82 Cr.P.C., may be issued and if applicant fails to appear before the Court on the date fixed in such proclamation, then, the Trial Court shall initiate proceedings against him, in accordance with law, under Section 174-A IPC.
(iv) The applicant shall remain present, in person, before the Trial Court on dates fixed for (1) opening of the case, (2) framing of charge and (3) recording of statement under Section 313 Cr.P.C. If in the opinion of the Trial Court 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 against him in accordance with law.
In case of breach of any of the above conditions, it shall be a ground for cancellation of bail.
It is made clear that observations made in granting bail to the applicant shall not in any way affect the learned trial Judge in forming his independent opinion based on the testimony of the witnesses.
Order Date :- 9.5.2022
Shalini
