IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH
Anoop Chitkara, J.
Pradeep - Appellant
Versus
State of Haryana - Respondent
Criminal Miscellaneous Petition (M) No. 56646 of 2022
Decided On : 03-02-2023
Bail - Criminal Antecedents - 120-B, 148, 149, 307, 323, 341, 379-B, 506 IPC and 25 of Arms Act - Summary of Acts and Sections
Fact of the Case:
The petitioner seeks bail under Section 439 of CrPC, 1973, in a case involving multiple criminal antecedents.
Finding of the Court:
The court, considering the nature of allegations and the petitioner's custody, grants bail with stringent conditions.
Issues: The court addresses the petitioner's criminal antecedents, the possibility of influencing the investigation, and the need for bail.
Ratio Decidendi: The court relies on legal principles from various cases to justify the grant of bail with stringent conditions.
Final Decision: The petitioner is granted bail with strict terms and conditions to ensure compliance and prevent further criminal activities.
JUDGMENT
Anoop Chitkara, J. -
| FIR No. | Dated | Police Station | Sections |
| 0381 | 06.12.2021 | NIT, Faridabad, District Faridabad | 120-B, 148, 149, 307, 323, 341, 379-B, 506 IPC and 25 of Arms Act |
1. The petitioner, incarcerating upon his arrest in the FIR captioned above, has come up before this Court under Section 439 of Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (CrPC) seeking bail.
2. In paragraph 5 of the bail application, the accused declares the following criminal antecedents:
| Sr. No. | FIR No | Date | Offences | Police Station |
| 1. | 89 | 26.03.2021 | 20 & 29 of NDPS Act | NIT, Faridabad, Distt. Faridabad |
| 2. | 194 | 03.06.2020 | 20 of NDPS Act | NIT, Faridabad, Distt. Faridabad |
| 3. | 131 | 04.05.2021 | 20 of NDPS Act | NIT, Faridabad, Distt. Faridabad |
| 4. | 112 (on bail) | 19.04.2021 | 147, 148, 149, 323, 324 & 506 IPC and 25 of Arms Act | NIT, Faridabad, Distt. Faridabad |
| 5. | 67 (acquitted) | 07.04.2012 | 148, 149, 323, 302, 506, 120B IPC, 25 of Arms Act and Sections 3, 33, 89 of SC&ST Act | NIT, Faridabad, Distt. Faridabad |
4. While opposing the bail, the State contends that given the criminal past, the accused is likely to indulge in crime once released on bail.
REASONING:
5. In Maulana Mohd Amir Rashadi v. State of U.P., (2012) 3 SCC 382, Hon'ble Supreme Court holds,
[10] It is not in dispute and highlighted that the second respondent is a sitting Member of Parliament facing several criminal cases. It is also not in dispute that most of the cases ended in acquittal for want of proper witnesses or pending trial. As observed by the High Court, merely on the basis of criminal antecedents, the claim of the second respondent cannot be rejected. In other words, it is the duty of the Court to find out the role of the accused in the case in which he has been charged and other circumstances such as possibility of fleeing away from the jurisdiction of the Court etc.
6. In Paramjeet Singh v. State of Punjab, CRM-M 50243 of 2021, this court observed, While considering each bail petition of the accused with a criminal history, it throws an onerous responsibility upon the Courts to act judiciously with reasonableness because arbitrariness is the antithesis of law. The criminal history must be of cases where the accused was convicted, including the suspended sentences and all pending First Information Reports, wherein the bail petitioner stands arraigned as an accused. In reckoning the number of cases as criminal history, the prosecutions resulting in acquittal or discharge, or when Courts quashed the FIR; the prosecution stands withdrawn, or prosecution filed a closure report; cannot be included. Although crime is to be despised and not the criminal, yet for a recidivist, the contours of a playing field are marshy, and graver the criminal history, slushier the puddles.
7. As per paragraph 4 of the bail petition, the petitioner is in custody since 6-12-2021. There is no allegation that the petitioner had fired upon the injured, and it was Accused Sachin, who was attributed 3-4 fire shots. Given the nature of allegations, and injuries inflicted by the petitioner, viz-a-viz pre-trial custody, coupled with the other factors peculiar to this case, there would be no justifiability for further pre-trial incarceration at this stage, subject to the compliance of terms and conditions mentioned in this order. It is clarified that the accused Sachin is not be entitled to claim bail on the grounds of parity with the petitioner because 3-4 fire shots were attributed to Sachin.
8. In Gurbaksh Singh Sibbia v State of Punjab, 1980 (2) SCC 565, (Para 30), a Constitutional Bench of Supreme Court held that the bail decision must enter the cumulative effect of the variety of circumstances justifying the grant or refusal of bail. In Kalyan Chandra Sarkar v Rajesh Ranjan @ Pappu Yadav, 2005 (2) SCC 42, (Para 18) a three-member Benc
Dataram Singh v State of Uttar Pradesh
GudikantiNarasimhulu v Public Prosecutor
Gurbaksh Singh Sibbia v State of Punjab
Kalyan Chandra Sarkar v Rajesh Ranjan @ Pappu Yadav
Maulana Mohd Amir Rashadi v. State of U.P.
The court can grant bail with stringent conditions based on the criminal antecedents and nature of allegations, ensuring compliance and preventing influence on the investigation or intimidation of wi....
The judgment establishes the principle that bail decisions should consider the cumulative effect of circumstances, including the nature of the allegations, criminal history, and the need for stringen....
The court must judiciously consider bail petitions, imposing stringent conditions to address concerns of influencing the investigation, tampering with evidence, and intimidating witnesses.
The main legal point established in the judgment is the discretion of the court in granting bail, the need for judicious consideration of bail petitions, and the imposition of stringent conditions to....
Bail should be granted unless compelling reasons exist, such as risk of fleeing or tampering with evidence, with prior acquittals not counting against the petitioner.
The main legal point established in the judgment is the need to consider the accused's criminal history, the gravity of the offence, and the possibility of influencing the investigation and intimidat....
The court's discretion in granting bail must consider the accused's criminal history and the necessity of imposing stringent conditions to prevent further criminal activities.
The discretion of the judge in granting bail, the need for judicious consideration of bail petitions, and the imposition of stringent conditions to prevent misuse of bail.
The court's decision to grant bail with stringent conditions was based on the petitioner's criminal antecedents, the period of pre-trial incarceration, and the need to prevent influencing the investi....
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