[Cites 8, Cited by 0]
Kerala High Court
Sowmya S Govindaraj vs State Of Kerala on 24 February, 2026
Author: Kauser Edappagath
Bench: Kauser Edappagath
2026:KER:16649
IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM
PRESENT
THE HONOURABLE DR. JUSTICE KAUSER EDAPPAGATH
TUESDAY, THE 24TH DAY OF FEBRUARY 2026 / 5TH PHALGUNA, 1947
BAIL APPL. NO. 924 OF 2026
CRIME NO.882/2025 OF VADAKKANCHERRY POLICE STATION, PALAKKAD
PETITIONER/ACCUSED NO.4:
1 SOWMYA S GOVINDARAJ
AGED 29 YEARS
D/O GOVINDARAJ, VELLATTUKALAM, KULLANGARA, KOTTAYI,
COYALMANNAM, PALAKKAD, PIN - 678702
BY ADVS.
SRI.V.A.VINOD
SHRI.SUHAIL M.
RESPONDENT/STATE:
1 STATE OF KERALA
REPRESENTED BY PUBLIC PROSECUTOR,
HIGH COURT OF KERALA, ERNAKULAM, PIN - 682031
2 THE STATION HOUSE OFFICER
VADAKKANCHERRY POLICE STATION, PALAKKAD, PIN - 679683
SRI.M.C.ASHI, SR. PUBLIC PROSECUTOR
THIS BAIL APPLICATION HAVING COME UP FOR ADMISSION ON
24.02.2026, ALONG WITH BAIL APPL..925/2026, 929/2026 AND CONNECTED
CASES, THE COURT ON THE SAME DAY DELIVERED THE FOLLOWING:
B.A. Nos.924, 925, 929 & 931 of 2026
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2026:KER:16649
IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM
PRESENT
THE HONOURABLE DR. JUSTICE KAUSER EDAPPAGATH
TUESDAY, THE 24TH DAY OF FEBRUARY 2026 / 5TH PHALGUNA, 1947
BAIL APPL. NO. 925 OF 2026
CRIME NO.1168/2025 OF VADAKKANCHERRY POLICE STATION, PALAKKAD
PETITIONER/ACCUSED NO.3:
1 SOWMYA S GOVINDARAJ
AGED 29 YEARS
D/O GOVINDARAJ, VELLATTUKALAM, KULLANGARA, KOTTAYI,
COYALMANNAM, PALAKKAD, PIN - 678702
BY ADVS.
SRI.V.A.VINOD
SHRI.SUHAIL M.
SMT.JYOTHY KRISHNA
RESPONDENT/STATE:
1 STATE OF KERALA
REPRESENTED BY PUBLIC PROSECUTOR, HIGH COURT OF
KERALA, ERNAKULAM, PIN - 682031
2 THE STATION HOUSE OFFICER
VADAKKANCHERRY POLICE STATION, PALAKKAD, PIN - 679683
SRI.K.A. NOUSHAD, SR. PUBLIC PROSECUTOR
THIS BAIL APPLICATION HAVING COME UP FOR ADMISSION ON
24.02.2026, ALONG WITH BAIL APPL..924/2026 AND CONNECTED CASES,
THE COURT ON THE SAME DAY DELIVERED THE FOLLOWING:
B.A. Nos.924, 925, 929 & 931 of 2026
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2026:KER:16649
IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM
PRESENT
THE HONOURABLE DR. JUSTICE KAUSER EDAPPAGATH
TUESDAY, THE 24TH DAY OF FEBRUARY 2026 / 5TH PHALGUNA, 1947
BAIL APPL. NO. 929 OF 2026
CRIME NO.421/2025 OF VADAKKANCHERRY POLICE STATION, PALAKKAD
PETITIONER/ACCUSED:
1 SOWMYA S GOVINDARAJ,
AGED 29 YEARS
D/O GOVINDARAJ, VELLATTUKALAM, KULLANGARA,
KOTTAYI,COYALMANNAM, PALAKKAD, PIN - 678702
BY ADVS.
SRI.V.A.VINOD
SHRI.SUHAIL M.
SMT.JYOTHY KRISHNA
RESPONDENT/STATE:
1 STATE OF KERALA,
REPRESENTED BY PUBLIC PROSECUTOR, HIGH COURT OF
KERALA, ERNAKULAM, PIN - 682031
2 THE STATION HOUSE OFFICER,
VADAKKANCHERRY POLICE STATION,
PALAKKAD, PIN - 679683
SMT.SREEJA V., SR. PUBLIC PROSECUTOR
THIS BAIL APPLICATION HAVING COME UP FOR ADMISSION ON
24.02.2026, ALONG WITH BAIL APPL..924/2026 AND CONNECTED CASES,
THE COURT ON THE SAME DAY DELIVERED THE FOLLOWING:
B.A. Nos.924, 925, 929 & 931 of 2026
-4-
2026:KER:16649
IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM
PRESENT
THE HONOURABLE DR. JUSTICE KAUSER EDAPPAGATH
TUESDAY, THE 24TH DAY OF FEBRUARY 2026 / 5TH PHALGUNA, 1947
BAIL APPL. NO. 931 OF 2026
CRIME NO.1432/2024 OF VADAKKANCHERRY POLICE STATION, PALAKKAD
PETITIONER/ACCUSED NO.4:
1 SOWMYA S GOVINDARAJ,
AGED 29 YEARS
D/O GOVINDARAJ, VELLATTUKALAM, KULLANGARA,
KOTTAYI,COYALMANNAM, PALAKKAD, PIN - 678702
BY ADVS.
SRI.V.A.VINOD
SHRI.SUHAIL M.
SMT.JYOTHY KRISHNA
RESPONDENT/STATE:
1 STATE OF KERALA,
REPRESENTED BY PUBLIC PROSECUTOR, HIGH COURT OF
KERALA, ERNAKULAM, PIN - 682031
2 THE STATION HOUSE OFFICER,
VADAKKANCHERRY POLICE STATION, PALAKKAD, PIN - 679683
SRI.M.C. ASHI, SR. PUBLIC PROSECUTOR
THIS BAIL APPLICATION HAVING COME UP FOR ADMISSION ON
24.02.2026, ALONG WITH BAIL APPL..924/2026 AND CONNECTED CASES,
THE COURT ON THE SAME DAY DELIVERED THE FOLLOWING:
B.A. Nos.924, 925, 929 & 931 of 2026
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2026:KER:16649
ORDER
All these applications are filed under Section 482 of the
Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (for short, BNSS),
seeking pre-arrest bail.
2. The applicant in B.A. No.924/2026 is the accused
No.4 in Crime No.882/2025; the applicant in B.A. No.925/2026
is the accused No.3 in Crime No.1168/2025; the applicant in
B.A. No.929/2026 is the accused No.1 in Crime No.421/2025
and the applicant in B.A. No.931/2026 is the accused No.4 in
Crime No.1432/2024 of Vadakkancherry Police Station,
Palakkad District. The offences alleged in all the crimes are
punishable under Sections 406 and 420 read with Section 34 of
the Indian Penal Code and Section 3 read with Section 21,
Section 4 read with Section 22 and Section 5 read with Section
23 of the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Act, 2019
(BUDS Act).
3. The prosecution case, in short, in all the cases, is
that the respective defacto complainants deposited money in
the Finspot India Nidhi Ltd., but failed to return the deposited
B.A. Nos.924, 925, 929 & 931 of 2026
2026:KER:16649
amount or interest and thereby committed the offences.
4. I have heard Sri. V.A. Vinod, the learned counsel for
the applicant, Sri. M.C.Ashi, Sri. K.A.Noushad and Smt. Sreeja
V., the learned Senior Public Prosecutors. Perused the case
diary.
5. The learned counsel for the applicant submitted that
the applicant is innocent and has been falsely implicated in the
above crime. The counsel further submitted that no materials
are on record to connect the applicant with the alleged crime;
hence, she is entitled to bail. The learned Senior Public
Prosecutors, on the other hand, submitted that the alleged
incident occurred as part of the applicant's intentional criminal
acts, and if she is released on bail at this stage, it will affect the
course of the investigation.
6. The applicant is only the Manager of the company.
She did not receive any money from the customers. The
investigation is almost over. The Directors and the Managing
Directors were already granted pre-arrest bail by this Court.
Considering the allegations made against the applicant, her
custodial interrogation seems unnecessary. For these reasons, I
B.A. Nos.924, 925, 929 & 931 of 2026
2026:KER:16649
find these to be appropriate cases to grant pre-arrest bail to the
applicant.
In the result, the applications are allowed on the following
conditions:-
(i) The applicant shall be released on bail in the event of
her arrest on executing a bond for Rs.1,00,000/- (Rupees One
lakh only) in each case with two solvent sureties for the like
sum each to the satisfaction of the arresting
officer/investigating officer, as the case may be.
(ii) The applicant shall fully cooperate with the
investigation, including subjecting herself to the deemed police
custody for discovery, if any, as and when demanded.
(iii) The applicant shall appear before the investigating
officer between 10.00 a.m. and 11.00 a.m. every Saturday until
further orders. She shall also appear before the investigating
officer as and when required.
(iv) The applicant shall not commit any offence of a like
nature while on bail.
(v) The applicant shall not attempt to contact any of the
prosecution witnesses, directly or through any other person, or
B.A. Nos.924, 925, 929 & 931 of 2026
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in any other way try to tamper with the evidence or influence
any witnesses or other persons related to the investigation.
(vi) The applicant shall not leave the State of Kerala
without the permission of the trial Court.
(vii) The application, if any, for deletion/modification of
bail conditions or cancellation of bail on the grounds of violating
the bail conditions shall be filed at the jurisdictional court.
Sd/-
DR. KAUSER EDAPPAGATH
JUDGE
SKP
B.A. Nos.924, 925, 929 & 931 of 2026
2026:KER:16649
APPENDIX OF BAIL APPL. NO. 924 OF 2026
PETITIONER'S ANNEXURES:
Annexure A-1 TRUE COPY OF THE FIRST INFORMATION REPORT
IN CRIME NO 882/2025 OF VADAKKANCHERRY
POLICE STATION
Annexure A-2 COPY OF THE ORDER IN CRL M.C NO 4821/2025
DATED 21.11.2025
Annexure A-3 TRUE COPY OF THE ORDER IN B.A NO 147/2026
DATED 22.01.2026
B.A. Nos.924, 925, 929 & 931 of 2026
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2026:KER:16649
APPENDIX OF BAIL APPL. NO. 925 OF 2026
PETITIONER'S ANNEXURES:
Annexure A-1 TRUE COPY OF THE FIRST INFORMATION REPORT
IN CRIME NO 1168/2025 OF VADAKKANCHERRY
POLICE STATION
Annexure A-2 COPY OF THE ORDER IN CRL M.C NO 4912/2025
DATED 21.11.2025
Annexure A-3 TRUE COPY OF THE ORDER IN B.A NO 151/2026
DATED 22.01.2026
B.A. Nos.924, 925, 929 & 931 of 2026
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2026:KER:16649
APPENDIX OF BAIL APPL. NO. 929 OF 2026
PETITIONER'S ANNEXURES:
Annexure A-1 TRUE COPY OF THE FIRST INFORMATION REPORT
IN CRIME NO 421/2025 OF VADAKKANCHERRY
POLICE STATION
Annexure A-2 COPY OF THE ORDER IN CRL M.C NO 5123/2025
DATED 29.11.2025
Annexure A-3 TRUE COPY OF THE ORDER IN B.A NO 139/2026
DATED 22.01.2026
B.A. Nos.924, 925, 929 & 931 of 2026
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APPENDIX OF BAIL APPL. NO. 931 OF 2026
PETITIONER'S ANNEXURES:
Annexure A-1 TRUE COPY OF THE FIRST INFORMATION REPORT
IN CRIME NO 1432/2024 OF VADAKKANCHERRY
POLICE STATION
Annexure A-2 COPY OF THE ORDER IN CRL M.C NO 5258/2025
DATED 17.01.2026
Annexure A-3 TRUE COPY OF THE ORDER IN B.A NO 1236/2025
DATED 07.02.2025
RESPONDENTS' ANNEXURES: NIL
TRUE COPY
P.A. TO JUDGE
