Allahabad High Court
Sanjay Maurya vs State Of U.P. on 2 May, 2024
Author: Sanjay Kumar Pachori
Bench: Sanjay Kumar Pachori
HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT ALLAHABAD
?Neutral Citation No. - 2024:AHC:80250
Court No. - 70
Case :- CRIMINAL MISC. BAIL APPLICATION No. - 17068 of 2024
Applicant :- Sanjay Maurya
Opposite Party :- State of U.P.
Counsel for Applicant :- Neeraj Singh
Counsel for Opposite Party :- G.A.
Hon'ble Sanjay Kumar Pachori,J.
Heard Sri Neeraj Singh learned counsel for the applicant, Sri Karunakar Singh, learned A.G.A. for the State and perused the material on record.
The present bail application has been filed on behalf of applicant Sanjay Maurya under Section 439 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, with a prayer to enlarge him on bail in Case Crime No. 423 of 2022 for offence punishable under Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code, registered at Police Station Navabganj, District Prayagraj, during pendency of the trial, after rejecting the bail application of the applicant by Additional Sessions Judge, Court No.19, Allahaad vide order dated 31.01.2023.
Learned counsel for the applicant submitted that the applicant is innocent and has been falsely implicated in the present case. It is further submitted that F.I.R. dated 17.07.2022 has been lodged under Section 307 IPC against the applicant and other co-accused Shahanshaha on the basis of recovery of arresting memo which has been prepared on the basis of information received from police informer. It is further submitted that present case is police encounter no injury case.
It is further submitted that no incriminating article has been recovered from the possession of the applicant. The alleged recovery of one country made pistol of .315 bore, one live cartridge of .315 and Rs. 255 have been made without complying the mandatory provision of Section 100 Cr.P.C.
It is also submitted that there is no apprehension that after being released on bail, applicant may flee from the course of law or may, otherwise, misuse the liberty of bail and the applicant is in jail since 17.7.2022 and the possibility of conclusion of trial in near future is very bleak.
It is further submitted that co-accused Shahanshah has been granted bail by a Coordinate Bench of this Court in Criminal Misc. Bail Application No. 5805 of 2024 vide order dated 18.03.2024.
He has next argued that the applicant has criminal history of three other cases has been explained in para nos. 14,16,17,20 and 23 of the affidavit filed in support of the bail application. The applicant is languishing in jail since 17.07.2022.
Learned counsel for the applicant has relied upon the judgments of Apex Court in Ash Mohammad Vs. Shiv Raj Singh @ Lalla Babu and another, (2012) 9 SCC 446 and Prabhakar Tiwari Vs. State of U.P. and another, (2020) 11 SCC 648 wherein the Apex Court has observed that pendency of other criminal cases against the accused may itself cannot be a basis for refusal of bail.
Per contra, learned A.G.A. has opposed the prayer for bail of the applicant by contending that the innocence of the applicant cannot be adjudged at pre trial stage, therefore, he does not deserve any indulgence. In case the applicant is released on bail, he will again indulge in similar activities and will misuse the liberty of bail.
It is well settled position of law that bail is the rule and committal to jail is an exception and refusal of bail is a restriction on the personal liberty of the individual guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution [Vide State of Rajasthan Vs. Balchand @ Baliay (1977) 4 SCC 308, Gudikanti Narasimhulu And Ors Vs. Public Prosecutor, High Court Of Andhra Pradesh, AIR 1978 SC 429 and Satender Kumar Antil Vs. Central Bureau of Investigation & Another, (2021) 10 SCC 773].
No material or circumstances has been brought to the notice of this Court with regard to tampering of evidence or intimidating of witnesses in previous criminal history.
Keeping in mind, 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. Hence, the present bail application is allowed.
Let the applicant Sanjay Maurya 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/endeavour 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 alongwith 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 :- 2.5.2024
Kumar Manish.
