Bail is the rule and jail is the exception; courts must grant bail when conditions are met, ensuring fair trial rights.

ORDER :

This Bail Application is filed under Section 483 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).

2. Petitioner is an accused in Crime No.962/2024 of Walayar Police Station, Palakkad. The above case is registered against the petitioner alleging offences punishable under Sections 111(1), 112(2)(b), 111(3), 111(4), 111(6), 127(7), 140(1), 310(1), 310(2), 311, 318(1), 318(2), 109 & 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (for short 'BNS').

3. The Prosecution case is that, between 04.12.2024 and 05.12.2024, accused Nos.1 to 9, being members of a criminal gang, kidnapped the defacto complainant and his friend Thomas Jacob from their house. They were taken to the terrace of the first accused's house, where their hands and legs were tied with ropes and cloth was stuffed into their mouths. The accused demanded a ransom of Rs.10,00,000/- threatening to kill them if the money was not paid. Thomas Jacob was forced to transfer 76,500/- via Google pay and hand over a diamond ring under threat. Hence it is alleged that the accused committed the above mentioned offences. The petitioner was arrested on 30.01.2025.

4. Heard the learned counsel appearing for the petitioner and the learned Public Prosecutor.

5. The counsel appearing for the petitioner submitted that the petitioner is in custody from 30.01.2025. The counsel submitted that the petitioner is ready to abide any conditions, if this Court grants him bail.

6. The Public Prosecutor opposed the bail application.

7. This Court considered the contentions of the petitioner and the Public Public Prosecutor. The petitioner earlier filed a bail application before this Court as evident by Annexure-A2 Order. After hearing both sides in detail, this Court was not inclined to grant bail considering the seriousness of the allegation. Then the petitioner seeks permission to withdraw that bail application with liberty to move it again. This Court granted liberty to move the bail application after three weeks. Accordingly, the present bail application is filed. It is true that the allegation against the petitioner is very serious. But indefinite incarceration of the petitioner is not necessary. Considering the facts and circumstances of the case, I think the petitioner can be released on bail after imposing stringent conditions. If the petitioner commits similar offences in future, the Investigating Officer can file an application before the jurisdictional court to cancel the bail and if such an application is filed, the jurisdictional court can cancel the bail even though this order is passed by this Court. There can be a direction to the petitioner to appear before the Investigating Officer on all Mondays and Fridays at 10 a.m., till the trial begins.

8. Moreover, it is a well accepted principle that the bail is the rule and the jail is the exception. The Hon'ble Supreme Court in Chidambaram. P v. Directorate of Enforcement [2019 (16) SCALE 870], after considering all the earlier judgments, observed that, the basic jurisprudence relating to bail remains the same inasmuch as the grant of bail is the rule and refusal is the exception so as to ensure that the accused has the opportunity of securing fair trial.

9. Moreover, in Jalaluddin Khan v. Union of India [2024 KHC 6431], the Hon'ble Supreme Court observed that:

“21. Before we part with the Judgment, we must mention here that the Special Court and the High Court did not consider the material in the charge sheet objectively. Perhaps the focus was more on the activities of PFI, and therefore, the appellant's case could not be properly appreciated. When a case is made out for a grant of bail, the Courts should not have any hesitation in granting bail. The allegations of the prosecution may be very serious. But, the duty of the Courts is to consider the case for grant of bail in accordance with the law. "Bail is the rule and jail is an exception" is a settled law. Even in a case like the present case where there are stringent conditions for the grant