IMPORTANT POINT
A practice of filing successive bail applications should be discouraged, unless there is a substantial change in the fact situation.

JUDGMENT

A.M. Ahmadi, J. - Special leave granted. Heard Counsel on both sides. The facts leading to this appeal are as under.

2. On May 30, 1988, the respondent, a Naval Officer of the rank of Captain was apprehended at the Bombay International Airport (Sahar Airport) when he was about to take the Air lndia flight from Bombay to New York. On search of his luggage certain highly sensitive documents marked secret confidential were found A complaint was lodged against him for the breach of the provisions of the Official Secrets Act, 1923 and the Atomic Energy Act, 1962. Soon after his arrest he filed an application dated 22nd September 1988 for bail. That application was rejected by the High Court on 29th September, 1988. Thereafter he filed a writ petition challenging the validity of Sections 3 and 5 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923 but that writ petition was dismissed by a Division Bench of the Bombay High Court on 8th December, 1988. In the meantime, he had preferred an application dated 21st November, 1988 for transfer of his case to another learned Judge and for grant of bail. While granting the prayer for transfer the Division Bench refused to enlarge the respondent on bail by its order dated 19th December, 1988. Soon thereafter on 18th January, 1989, the respondent filed the third application for bail which too was rejected by Suresh, J. Having thus failed to secure enlargement on bail the respondent approached the learned Sessions Judge, Bombay for a direction to the jail authorities that he be produced before the Head of the Orthopaedic Department of J.J. Hospital as he had some spinal pain. The respondent also moved a separate application for being admitted to the Naval Hospital. The learned Sessions Judge acceded to his request and got him examined by Dr. Dongaonkar, who submitted his report on 3rd Feb, 1989. On 10thFeb, 1989, the respondent moved another application complaining of violation of Court's order and for enlargement on bail. This was followed by yet another application for bail dated 16th Feb, 1989 and in the alternative for a direction to admit him to a suitable hospital where he may be served meals cooked at his home. On the said application certain directions were given and the respondent was shifted to the general ward of G.T. Hospital, Bombay. The Trial Court framed charges against the respondent on 27th Feb, 1989. On 24th April,

1989, the respondent filed yet another application for grant of bail on medical grounds and in the alternative for being admitted to a hospital or any other place where he can conveniently received instructions in yogic exercises. All his pending applications made for bail etc. were rejected by Puranik, J. by a common order dated 6th June,1989, except Criminal Application No. 995 of 1989, preferred in April, 1989 for enlargement on bail on medical grounds. Possibly the fact that he had preferred this application was not brought to the notice of Puranik, J. Two days after the rejection of the group of bail applications by Puranjk, J., application No. 995 of 1989 was disposed of by Suresh, J., who directed that he be enlarged on bail for a period of two months on his furnishing security in the sum of Rs. 10,000/- with one surety on the terms and conditions catalogued at (a) to (g) of the order. The learned Judge felt that by permitting him to be kept in virtual house arrest the state's grievance that he meets visitors including media men and gives interviews at the G.T. Hospital open ward will not survive. He was also of the view that having regard to his spinal disorder it was necessary that he had proper facilities for yogic exercises under expert guidance. It is this order of the learned Judge that is assailed before us by the State of Maharashtra.

2. When this matter came up for admission before Shetty, J., during vacation, the learned Judge, after taking note of the fact that respondent was suffering from disc-prolapsed for which he was treated by Dr. Dongaonkar and had sh