SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
M.R. SHAH, KRISHNA MURARI, JJ.
Bohatti Devi - Appellant
Versus
The State of Uttar Pradesh & Anr. - Respondents
Criminal Appeal No. 1695 of 2022
Decided On : 30-09-2022
Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 – Sections 437(5) and 439(2) – Bail – Cancellation of – F.I.R. for offence under Sections 302 and 120B, IPC – High Court has not at all considered seriousness and gravity of offence alleged against respondent No. 2 – Even High Court has not considered relevant material forming charge-sheet – No cogent reasons have been given by High Court while releasing respondent No. 2 on bail, germane to grant of bail and that too in a very serious offence under Sections 302 and 120B IPC – Aspects which are very material and/or relevant while considering prayer for bail have been ignored by High Court while releasing respondent No. 2 on bail – High Court has considered enlargement on bail to co-accused – However, High Court while considering parity has not at all considered role attributed to co-accused and allegations against respondent No. 2 – Impugned judgment and order passed by High Court releasing respondent No. 2-accused on bail quashed and set aside. (Paras 2, 2.1, 2.2 and 3)
Facts of the case:
Original complainant (now State) has preferred the present appeal, feeling aggrieved and dissatisfied with the impugned judgment and order dated 25.03.2022 passed by the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad in Criminal Misc. Bail Application No. 4095 of 2022 by which High Court has released the respondent No. 2 accused on bail in connection with the F.I.R. for the offence under Sections 302 and 120B, IPC.
Findings of Court:
Trial Court to conduct the trial in accordance with law and on merits and on the basis of the evidence led before it and without in any way being influenced by the present order as any observations made in present order are while considering the bail application.
Result : Appeal allowed.
JUDGMENT :
M.R. Shah, J.
1. Feeling aggrieved and dissatisfied with the impugned judgment and order dated 25.03.2022 passed by the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad in Criminal Misc. Bail Application No. 4095 of 2022 by which the High Court has released the respondent No. 2 accused on bail in connection with the F.I.R. for the offence under Sections 302 and 120B IPC, the original complainant (now the State) has preferred the present appeal.
2. At the outset, it is required to be noted that the respondent No. 2 is facing the trial for the offence under Sections 302 and 120B IPC. Having gone through the impugned judgment and order passed by the High Court releasing the respondent No. 2 on bail, it can be seen that the High Court has not at all considered the seriousness and gravity of the offence alleged against the respondent No. 2. Even the High Court has not considered the relevant material forming the charge sheet. No cogent reasons have been given by the High Court while releasing the respondent No. 2 on bail, germane to the grant of bail and that too in a very serious offence under Sections 302 and 120B IPC.
2.1 The High Court has also not considered the fact that earlier the respondent No. 2 – accused initiated the proceedings before the High Court to quash the criminal proceedings against him by filing an application under Section 482 Cr.P.C., which came to be dismissed by the High Court. The High Court has also not considered that the special leave petition filed against the order passed by the High Court rejecting the application under Section 482 Cr.P.C. also got dismissed by this Court. The High Court has also not noticed and/or considered that a non-bailable warrant was issued against respondent No. 2 – accused and thereafter, he was arrested in the year 2021. All the aforesaid aspects, which are very material and/or relevant while considering the prayer for bail have been ignored by the High Court while releasing the respondent No. 2 on bail.
2.2 From the impugned judgment and order, it appears that the High Court has considered the enlargement on bail to the co-accused Vicky and Sarvesh @ Mangal. However, the High Court while considering the parity has not at all considered the role attributed to the said co-accused and the allegations against respondent No. 2 herein.
3. In view of the above facts and circumstances, the impugned judgment and order passed by the High Court releasing the respondent No. 2 on bail is unsustainable and the same deserves to be quashed and set aside and is accordingly quashed and set aside. The impugned judgment and order passed by the High Court releasing the respondent No. 2 -accused on bail in connection with Case Crime No. 1069 of 2014 for the offence under Sections 302, 120B IPC, P.S. Baraut, District Baghpat is hereby quashed and set aside.
Now, the respondent No.2 to surrender before the concerned Jail Authority / Court within a period of two weeks from today, failing which, non-bailable warrant be issued against him. However, it is observed that the learned Trial Court to conduct the trial in accordance with law and on merits and on the basis of the evidence led before it and without in any way being influenced by the present order as any observations made in the present order are while considering the bail application.
Present appeal is allowed accordingly.
While granting bail, relevant considerations are nature of seriousness of offence; character of evidence and circumstances which are peculiar to accused and likelihood of accused fleeing from justice....
Bail cannot be granted in a murder case after submission of charge-sheet.
Court granting bail cannot obviate its duty to apply judicial mind and to record reasons, brief as they may be, for the purpose of deciding whether or not to grant bail.
The ground of parity for granting bail must be valid and applicable, as indicated by previous judgments.
A bail order must consider the seriousness of the charges and relevant evidence in the charge-sheet, especially in cases involving severe crimes like murder.
(1) Application for cancellation of bail stands on a different footing than challenging order passed by High Court/Appellate Court releasing accused on bail.(2) Bail cannot be granted without looking....
Defence on part of accused is required to be considered at the time of trial.
The grant of bail in serious offences must be supported by valid and cogent reasons, and the gravity of the offence alleged is an important factor for considering the question of grant of bail.
The main legal point established in the judgment is that the seriousness of the offence, the nature of the evidence, and the likelihood of the accused interfering with the process of justice are cruc....
Login now and unlock free premium legal research
Login to SupremeToday AI and access free legal analysis, AI highlights, and smart tools.
Login
now!
India’s Legal research and Law Firm App, Download now!
Copyright © 2023 Vikas Info Solution Pvt Ltd. All Rights Reserved.