Allahabad High Court
Beetu vs State Of U.P. And Another on 24 February, 2025
HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT ALLAHABAD
?Neutral Citation No. - 2025:AHC:26073
Court No. - 82
Case :- CRIMINAL APPEAL No. - 10441 of 2024
Appellant :- Beetu
Respondent :- State of U.P. and Another
Counsel for Appellant :- Abhilasha Singh,Ashutosh Yadav,Shyam Lal,Vinay Kumar Srivastava
Counsel for Respondent :- G.A.,Vipin Kumar
Hon'ble Nalin Kumar Srivastava,J.
1. Counter affidavit filed today is taken on record.
2. Heard Ms. Abhilasha Singh, learned counsel for the appellant, learned counsel for the informant as well as the learned AGA for the State and perused the material placed on record.
3. The present criminal appeal under Section 14-A(2) Scheduled Castes & Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act has been filed by the appellant - Beetu to set aside the third bail rejection order dated 9.7.2024 whereby the Special Judge, SC/ST Act, Etah has rejected the bail application of the appellant moved by him in Case Crime No. 209 of 2023, under sections 341, 354, 376-D I.P.C. and 3(2)(v) SC/ST Act, P.S. Kotwali Nagar, District Etah. The first criminal appeal of the appellant was rejected by this Court vide order dated 11.10.2023 passed in Criminal Appeal No. 8613 of 2023.
4. The previous criminal appeal filed by the appellant praying for bail and setting aside the bail rejection order passed by the Court concerned has been dismissed on merits by the coordinate Bench of this Court vide order dated 12.12.2023.
5. Learned counsel for the appellant has submitted that appellant is innocent and has been falsely implicated in this case. Appellant is not named in the F.I.R. It is further submitted that after rejection of first criminal appeal, the statement of victim has been recorded as P.W. 2 wherein the victim stated that she came to know the name of the present appellant on the date of incident. She informed about this to her father but in spite of this information, the informant did not disclose the name the appellant in the F.I.R. It is further submitted that since the statement of victim has been recorded, therefore, there is no chance of tempering the witness of fact. Appellant is languishing in jail since 23.5.2023 having no criminal history. In case, the appellant is released on bail, he will not misuse the liberty of bail. It is lastly submitted that co-accused Durvesh Kumar @ Hybrid has been granted bail by the coordinate Bench of this Court on 13.9.2024 vide Criminal Appeal No. 6891 of 2024.
6. Per contra, learned A.G.A. assisted by learned counsel for the informant has opposed the prayer for grant of bail to the appellant and argued that appellant was involved in the incident. It is further submitted that victim herself identified the appellant during trial. It is further submitted that the present appellant is a teacher and keeping in view this fact his case is not similar to that of co-accused
7. In Union of India Vs. K.A. Najeeb (2021) 3 SCC 713, the Hon'ble Apex Court has observed that:-
"15. This Court has clarified in numerous judgments that the liberty guaranteed by Part III of the Constitution would cover within its protective ambit not only due procedure and fairness but also access to justice and a speedy trial. In Supreme Court Legal Aid Committee v. Union of India SCC para-15 it was held that undertrials cannot indefinitely be detained pending trial. Ideally, no person ought to suffer adverse consequences of his acts unless the same is established before a neutral arbiter. However, owing to the practicalities of real life where to secure an effective trial and to ameliorate the risk to society in case a potential criminal is left at large pending trial, the Courts are tasked with deciding whether an individual ought to be released pending trial or not. Once it is obvious that a timely trial would not be possible and the accused has suffered incarceration for a significant period of time, Courts would ordinarily be obligated to enlarge them on bail."
8. It appears from the arguments advanced by the counsel for the parties and from perusal of material on record that the trial court has not properly considered the case of the appellant. Hence, in view of above consideration, the order of rejection of bail passed by the trial court dated 9.7.2024 is, hereby, set aside.
9. Having considered the submissions of the parties noted above, finding force in the submissions made by the learned counsel for the appellant; appellant being under-trial having fundamental right to speedy; larger mandate of the Article 21 of the Constitution of India, considering 5-6 times overcrowding in jails over and above their capacity by under trials and without expressing any opinion on the merits of the case, Court is of the opinion that the appellant is entitled to be enlarged on bail.
10. Let appellant - Beetu 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 appellant 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 appellant shall not pressurize/intimidate the prosecution witnesses.
(iii) The appellant 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 appellant 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 appellant shall remain present before the trial court on each date fixed, either personally or through his counsel.
(vi) The appellant shall not indulge in any criminal activity or commission of any crime after being released on bail.
11. 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 appellant 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.
12. 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 appellant, if there is no other legal impediment.
13. 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.
14. The criminal appeal is allowed.
Order Date :- 24.2.2025
safi
