SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
SUDHANSU DHULIA, RAJESH BINDAL, JJ.
Ram Murti Sharma – Appellant
Versus
State Of Uttar Pradesh And Another – Respondents
Criminal Appeal No. 1797 of 2024 (Arising Out Of S.L.P. (Criminal) No. 10254 Of 2023)
Decided On : 22-03-2024
Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 – Section 439(2) – Bail – Cancellation petition – Respondent no.2 in case in hand is involved in heinous crime where murder of son of appellant-complainant had taken place – Respondent no.2 was not named in FIR – However, when matter was investigated in detail, police could gather evidence pointing out involvement of respondent no.2 in crime – Material collected was discussed in detail by Sessions Judge while rejecting bail application of respondent no.2 – However, High Court merely noticing arguments raised primarily by Counsel for respondent no.2 has directed for his release on bail which cannot be legally sustained – Impugned order passed by High Court set aside and respondent no.2 granted three weeks' time to surrender. (Paras 8 and 9)
Facts of the case:
Order dated 03.08.2023 passed by High Court of Judicature at Allahabad in bail application, whereby respondent no.2 has been directed to be released on bail, is challenged by complainant.
Findings of Court:
This order shall not debar respondent no.2 from filing a fresh bail application at any subsequent stage, which shall be considered by court concerned on its own merits.
Result : Appeal allowed.
JUDGMENT :
(Rajesh Bindal, J.) :
Leave granted.
2. The order1[Dated 03.08.2023], passed by the High Court2[High Court of Judicature at Allahabad] in the bail application3[Criminal Misc. Bail Application No.4895 of 2023], whereby the respondent no.2 has been directed to be released on bail, is challenged by the complainant.
3. Brief facts are that an FIR No.733 of 20224[Dated 12.06.2022 with the P.S. Indirapuram, Dist. Ghaziabad] was registered on the complaint of the appellant-complainant alleging murder of his son. During investigation involvement of respondent no.2 was found. He was taken into custody on 15.06.2022. The bail application5[Bail Application No.5754/2022] filed by him was dismissed by the Sessions Judge6[Sessions Judge, Ghaziabad] on 23.09.2022, while recording the reasons in detail. Aggrieved by the aforesaid order, bail application was filed by the respondent no.2 before the High Court. The same was allowed on 03.08.2023, directing release of the respondent no.2 on bail. It is the aforesaid order which is impugned before this Court.
4. Learned counsel for the appellant-complainant submitted that while directing release of the respondent no.2 on bail, the High Court has failed to consider the relevant facts, which clearly led to his involvement in the crime. Merely, after briefly noticing the stand taken by the parties, the bail application was allowed by the High Court. The same is totally in contravention of the law laid down by this Court in terms of which reasons, in brief, are required to the given.
5. Learned counsel for the respondent No. 1-State supported the stand taken by the learned counsel for the appellant. Though, the order of the High Court has not been challenged by the State as such.
6. On the other hand, learned counsel for the respondent no.2 submitted that it is a case in which the respondent no.2 is not named in the FIR. He had already suffered incarceration for approximately one year and two months. The High Court, after considering relevant materials and keeping in view the fact that any detailed finding would have prejudiced the case of other side, directed the release of the respondent no.2 on bail. There is nothing pointed out regarding the conduct of the respondent no.2 after he was released on bail. It should be considered as a relevant factor at this stage in the present appeal seeking cancellation of the bail, granted to the respondent no.2.
7. We have heard learned counsel for the parties and perused the paper book.
8. The respondent no.2 in the case in hand is involved in heinous crime where murder of the son of the appellant-complainant had taken place. Respondent no.2 was not named in the FIR. However, when the matter was investigated in detail, the police could gather evidence pointing out involvement of the respondent no.2 in crime. The material collected was discussed in detail by the Sessions Judge while rejecting the bail application of the respondent no.2. However, the High Court merely noticing the arguments raised primarily by the counsel for the respondent no.2 has directed for his release on bail, which in our opinion cannot be legally sustained.
9. For the reasons mentioned above, the appeal is allowed. The impugned order passed by the High Court is set aside. The respondent no.2 is granted three weeks' time to surrender. We make it clear that nothing in the above said order shall prejudice the respondent no.2 in any subsequent proceedings relating to the crime. The above order shall not debar the respondent no.2 from filing a fresh bail application at any subsequent stage, which shall be considered by the court concerned on its own merits.
Bail – An undeserving bail granted cannot be allowed to stand.
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....
Inquest proceedings are limited to identifying the apparent cause of death and do not require exhaustive details of the crime. Relying solely on the absence of information in an inquest report to gra....
Grant of bail – Ordinarily, in serious offences, once trial commences and prosecution starts examining its witnesses, Court should be loath in entertaining bail application of accused – Once trial co....
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.
Grant of bail – Where court considering application for bail fails to consider relevant factors, appellate court may justifiably set aside order granting bail – Where order refusing or granting bail ....
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.
(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....
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....
Bail - Grant of bail in heinous crime of murder bail on the basis of irrelevant considerations would amount to arbitrary exercise of judicial discretion.
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