Bail is a rule, not a punishment; presumption of innocence prevails unless exceptional circumstances warrant denial.

JUDGMENT :

Krishan Pahal, J.

1. List has been revised.

2. Heard Sri Pandey Balkrishna, learned counsel for the applicant and Sri Rajendra Prasad Singh, learned State Law Officer for the State and perused the record.

3. Applicant seeks bail in Case Crime No.82 of 2024, under Sections 376(1), 506 I.P.C., Police Station- Mahila Thana, District-Jhansi, during the pendency of trial.

PROSECUTION STORY:

4. The applicant is stated to have spiked the soft-drink of the victim and rendered her unconscious on 9.5.2024. The applicant and other co-accused person are stated to have gang-raped her. There are allegations that two ladies had video recorded the said act. Subsequently, the applicant is stated to have forged certain documents and got the marriage registered before the Registrar, Jhansi. The said documents were found fake and the marriage was dissolved.

ARGUMENTS ON BEHALF OF APPLICANT:

5. The applicant is absolutely innocent and has been falsely implicated in the present case.

6. The FIR is delayed by about more than three months and there is no explanation of the said delay caused.

7. The marriage of the applicant and victim was solemnized before the Registrar on 10.5.2024, and subsequent to it, at the instance of the parents of the victim the said registration was cancelled vide order dated 29.6.2024.

8. The instant FIR has been instituted two months after the cancellation of the said marriage. The instant case is just misuse of process of court.

9. The victim is major and her date of birth is 7.6.2004, as such, her age comes out to be 19 years, 11 months and 02 days at the time of incident.

10. Several other submissions have been made on behalf of the applicant to demonstrate the falsity of the allegations made against him. The circumstances which, as per counsel, led to the false implication of the applicant have also been touched upon at length. 11. There is no criminal history of the applicant. The applicant is languishing in jail since 6.10.2024 and is ready to cooperate with trial. In case, the applicant is released on bail, he will not misuse the liberty of bail.

ARGUMENTS ON BEHALF OF STATE/OPPOSITE PARTY:

12. The bail application has been opposed but the submissions raised by the learned counsel for the applicant could not be disputed.

CONCLUSION:

13. In light of the judgement of the Supreme Court passed in Niranjan Singh and another vs Prabhakar Rajaram Kharote and others, AIR 1980 SC 785 , this Court has avoided detailed examination of the evidence and elaborate documentation of the merits of the case as no party should have the impression that his case has been prejudiced. A prima facie satisfaction of case is needed but it is not the same as an exhaustive exploration of the merits in the order itself.

14. The well-known principle of "Presumption of Innocence Unless Proven Guilty," gives rise to the concept of bail as a rule and imprisonment as an exception.

15. A person's right to life and liberty, guaranteed by Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, cannot be taken away simply because the person is accused of committing an offence until the guilt is established beyond a reasonable doubt. Article 21 of the Indian Constitution states that no one's life or personal liberty may be taken away unless the procedure established by law is followed, and the procedure must be just and reasonable. The said principle has been recapitulated by the Supreme Court in Satender Kumar Antil Vs. Central Bureau of Investigation and Ors., 2022 INSC 690 .

16. Reiterating the aforesaid view the Supreme Court in the case of Manish Sisodia Vs. Directorate of Enforcement, 2024 INSC 595 has again emphasised that the very well-settled principle of law that bail is not to be withheld as a punishment is not to be forgotten. It is high time that the Courts should recognize the principle that “bail is a rule and jail is an exception”.

17. Learned State Law Officer could not bring forth any exceptional circumstances which would warrant denial of bail to the applicant