Allahabad High Court
Shekhar@ Chandrashekhar vs State Of U.P. on 16 August, 2023
Bench: Siddharth
HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT ALLAHABAD
?Neutral Citation No. - 2023:AHC:164232
Court No. - 64
Case :- CRIMINAL MISC. BAIL APPLICATION No. - 34229 of 2023
Applicant :- Shekhar@ Chandrashekhar
Opposite Party :- State of U.P.
Counsel for Applicant :- Arun Kumar Shukla,Shailendra Kumar Singh
Counsel for Opposite Party :- G.A.,Abhijit Mishra
Hon'ble Siddharth,J.
Heard learned counsel for the applicant, Sri Abhijit Mishra, learned counsel for the informant and learned A.G.A. for the State.
An affidavit has been filed by the Investigating Officer, Satendra Kumar Sonkar, who is present in court today. The aforesaid affidavit has been filed in compliance of the order of this court dated 04.08.2023, giving explanation why all the witnesses have given similar statements. There is no difference in their statements recorded by the investigating officer.
Investigating Officer aforesaid is warned that he shall not record the cut paste statements of witnesses in future. His personal appearance is exempted.
There is allegation against the applicant, who is friend of the elder brother-in-law of victim of outraging of her modesty after entering into house and threatening also. Subsequently, statement of the victim was recorded under Section 164 Cr.P.C., wherein she made allegation of gang rape against the applicant.
Learned counsel for the submits that applicant has been falsely implicated in this case because the husband, father-in-law, mother-in-law, brother-in-law of the victim are in jail in connection with Case Crime No.292 of 2022, under Sections 498A, 304B I.P.C. Applicant was mediator in the aforesaid marriage. The victim and their family members were extorting pressure on the applicant to get the aforesaid case compromised, which he could not do hence he has been falsely implicated. Learned counsel for the applicant further submits that initially first information report was lodged under Sections 354, 452, 504, 506 I.P.C. only but subsequently implication under Section 376 I.P.C was also made to falsely implicate the applicant. He is in jail since 29.04.2023 and has no criminal history to his credit.
Learned AGA has opposed the prayer for bail but could not dispute the above submissions.
Keeping in view the nature of the offence, evidence, complicity of the accused; submissions of the learned counsel for the parties noted above; finding force in the submissions made by the learned counsel for the applicant; keeping view the uncertainty regarding conclusion of trial; one sided investigation by police, ignoring the case of accused side; applicant being under trial having fundamental right to speedy trial; larger mandate of the Article 21 of the Constitution of India and recent judgment dated 11.07.2022 of the Apex Court in the case of Satendra Kumar Antil vs. C.B.I., passed in S.L.P (Crl.) No. 5191 of 2021 and considering 5-6 times overcrowding in jails over and above their capacity by the under trials and without expressing any opinion on the merits of the case, the Court is of the view that the applicant has made out a case for bail. The bail application is allowed.
Let the applicant, Shekhar@ Chandrashekhar, involved in Case Crime No.79 of 2023, under Sections 354, 452, 504, 506, 376D I.P.C, Police Station Dannahar, District- Mainpuri 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 not tamper with the evidence or threaten the witnesses.
(ii) 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 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.
(iii) The applicant shall remain present before the Trial Court on each date fixed, either personally or as directed by the Court. In case of his absence, without sufficient cause, the Trial Court may proceed against him under Section 229-A of the Indian Penal Code.
(iv) In case the applicant misuse the liberty of bail during trial and in order to secure his presence, proclamation under Section 82 Cr.P.C. is issued and the applicants fail 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 of the Indian Penal Code.
(v) 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 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, the complainant is free to move an application for cancellation of bail before this court.
Identity and residence proof of the applicant and sureties be verified by the court concerned before the bonds are accepted.
Order Date :- 16.8.2023
SS
