Madhya Pradesh High Court
Ajeet Singh vs The State Of Madhya Pradesh on 29 April, 2025
Author: Anand Pathak
Bench: Anand Pathak
1 CRA-3379-2022
IN THE HIGH COURT OF MADHYA PRADESH
AT GWALIOR
CRA No. 3379 of 2022
(AJEET SINGH AND OTHERS Vs THE STATE OF MADHYA PRADESH )
Dated : 29-04-2025
Shri R.K.Sharma - Sr. Advocate with Shri V.K.Agrawal - Advocate
for appellant No.8.
Shri A.K. Nirankari - Public Prosecutor for respondent/State.
Shri Atul Gupta - Advocate for complainant.
Heard on I.A. No.22388/2024, second repeat application under Section
389(1) of Cr.P.C.(u/S.430(1) of BNSS), filed on behalf of appellant No.8 -
Manoj for suspension of jail sentence and grant of bail.
2. This Criminal Appeal has been preferred under Section 374 of the
Cr.P.C. against the judgment of conviction and order of sentence dated
26.03.2022 passed by Second Additional Sessions Judge, Joura, District
Morena in S.T.No.83/2011, whereby appellant No.8 has been convicted
under Section 302/149 of IPC and sentenced to undergo life imprisonment
with fine of Rs.3,000/-, under Section 148 of IPC and sentenced to undergo
R.I. for six months with fine of Rs.1,000/-, with default stipulations.
3. It is the submission of learned counsel for the appellant that trial
Court erred in convicting the present appellant and awarding jail sentence. It
is further submitted that appellant already suffered five years and eight
months of jail incarceration as pre and post trial confinement. The appellant
has raised a plea of alibi, submitting that the time of incident was 12:30 PM
on 03.11.2010, and he was found at an ATM of Punjab National Bank (PNB)
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in Gwalior at 12:58 PM. The place of incident was Village Tiktoli near
Joura, while the ATM is located in Tansen Nagar, Gwalior. The approximate
distance between these two locations is about 55 kms and it is highly
improbable that a person reaches to such a distance within 28 minutes,
negotiating the heavy traffic at peak afternoon hours. It is further submitted
that the plea of alibi was so profound that during investigation, the
Investigating Officer did not find sufficient material to implicate the
appellant, and hence he was not initially made an accused. However, at the
stage of proceedings under Section 319 of Cr.P.C., the name of appellant
Manoj was stated by a prosecution witness, then an application was preferred
at the instance of complainant to implead the present appellant as an
accused, but the trial Court rejected the same. The High Court affirmed the
order but by way of remand order from the Hon'ble Supreme Court, his role
was prosecuted and a conviction was recorded. The Investigation Officer has
confirmed the fact that he was exonerated from the investigation initially. It
is highly improbable that appellant could have been present at both places
simultaneously with such ease. The appeal is of the year 2022, and there is
no likelihood of early hearing of this appeal in the near future. The appellant
has good case on merits, particularly with respect to the plea of alibi. He
undertakes to abide by all terms and conditions as may be imposed by this
Court. Appellant voluntarily undertakes to perform community service to
purge his misdeed, if any and to serve National/Environmental/Social cause.
Under these circumstances, he prayed for grant of suspension of sentence
and grant of bail.
3 CRA-3379-2022
4. Per contra, learned State counsel as well as counsel for complainant
opposed the application on the ground of criminal history of appellant as
according to them, he is an accused and he has been convicted in another
same set of offence under Section 302 of IPC and prayed for its rejection,
while supporting the impugned judgment.
5. Heard learned counsel for the parties and record perused.
6. Considering the submissions as advanced, looking to the period of
custody of appellant and nature of evidence subsists against him which are of
doubtful nature, but without commenting anything on the merits of the case,
application (I.A. No.22388/2024) is allowed subject to deposit of fine
amount, if not already deposited and it is ordered that on furnishing a
personal bond of Rs.50,000/- (Rupees Fifty Thousand Only) with two
solvent sureties in the like amount to the satisfaction of the concerned trial
Court, jail sentence of appellant shall remain suspended till disposal of this
appeal and he be released on bail. He is further directed to remain present
before the Registry of this Court on 24.07.2025 and, thereafter, on such
subsequent dates as may be fixed by the Registry.
7. It is further directed that appellant shall not be a source of
embarrassment and harassment to the complainant in any manner and he
shall not move in the vicinity of the complainant and shall not try to contact
the complainant party by any mode, otherwise, benefit of suspension of
sentence and bail shall automatically stands cancelled.
8. Appellant shall mark his presence on first Sunday of every alternate
month at Police Station Sumaoli District Morena for next two years i.e., till
4 CRA-3379-2022
May, 2027 and shall not try to contact any member of complainant side in
person /through somebody else or through electronic media, otherwise his
benefit of suspension of sentence shall immediately be withdrawn.
9. It is made clear that this bail by way of suspension of sentence is
granted once the case is made out for bail and thereafter, direction for
plantation of saplings is given and it is not the case where a person intends to
serve social cause can be given bail without considering the merits.
एत ारा यह िनदिशत कया जाता है क आवेदक 10 पौध का (यथासंभव कोई भी फल
दे ने वाले पेड़ अथवा नीम/पीपल जैसे पेड़) रोपण करे गा तथा उसे अपने आस पड़ोस म पेड़ क सुर ा
क यव था करनी होगी ता क पौधे सुर त रह सके। आवेदक का यह कत य है क न केवल पौध
को लगाया जाऐ, ब क उ ह पोषण भी दया जाए। ''वृ ारोपण के साथ, वृ ापोषण भी आव यक
है ।'' आवेदक संभवतः 6-8 फ ट ऊ◌ॅ◌ंचे पौधे/पेड़ को 3-4 फ ट ग ढा करके लगायेगा ता क वे शी
ह पूण वकिसत हो सक। अनुपालन सुिन त करने के िलए, आवेदक को रहा कये जाने क
दनांक से 30 दन के भीतर संबंिधत वचारण यायालय के सम वृ /पौध के रोपण के सभी
फोटो तुत करना होग। त प ात ्, वचारण के समापन तक हर तीन मह ने म आवेदक के ारा
वचारण यायालय के सम गित रपोट तुत क जाएगी ।
वृ क गित पर िनगरानी रखना वचारण यायालय का कत य है य क पयावरण
रण के कारण मानव अ त व दांव पर है और यायालय अनुपालन के बारे म आवेदक ारा
दखाई गई कसी भी लापरवाह को नजर अंदाज नह कर सकता है । इसिलए आवेदक को पेड़ क
गित और आवेदकगण ारा अनुपालन के संबंध म एक रपोट तुत करने के िलए िनदिशत
कया जाता है एवं आवदे क ारा कये गये अनुपालन क एक सं ि रपेाट इस यायालय के सम
येक तीन माह म (अगले छः मह न के िलए) रखी जायेगी जसे क ''िनदश'' शीष के अंतगत
रखा जाएगा।
वृ ारोपण म या पेड़ क दे खभाल म आवेदकगण क ओर से क गई कोई भी चूक आवेदक
को जमानत का लाभ लेने से वंिचत कर सकती है ।
आवेदक को अपनी पसंद के थान पर इन पौध /पेड को रोपने क वतं ता होगी, य द वह
इन रोपे गये पेड क गाड या बाड़ लगाकर र ा करना चाहता है , तो वह अपने वंय के यय पर
यह करने के िलये वतं होगा।
5 CRA-3379-2022
इस यायालय ारा यह िनदश एक पर ण करण के तौर पर दए गए ह ता क हं सा और
बुराई के वचार का ितकार, सृजन एवं कृ ित के साथ एकाकार होने के मा यम से सामं◌ाज य
था पत कया जा सके। वतमान म मानव अ त व के आव यक अंग के प म दया, सेवा, ेम एवं
क ं णा क कृ ित को वकिसत करने क आव यकता है य क यह मानव जीवन क मूलभूत
वृितयां ह और मानव अ त व को बनाए रखने के िलए इनका पुनज वत होना आव यक है ।
''यह यास केवल एक वृ के रोपण का न होकर ब क एक वचार के अंकुरण का है ।''
यह िनदश आवेदक के ारा वतः य क गई सामुदाियक सेवा क इ छा के कारण दया
गया है जो वै छक है ।
It is expected from appellant that he shall submit photographs by
downloading the mobile application (NISARG App) prepared at the instance
of High Court for monitoring the plantation through satellite/Geo-Tagging.
11. Application stands allowed and disposed of.
12. Copy of this order be sent to the trial Court concerned for
information and necessary compliance.
Certified copy as per rules.
(ANAND PATHAK) (HIRDESH)
JUDGE JUDGE
Adnan
