The statutory bar under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 and the principles laid down by the Supreme Court in Arnesh Kumar case influenced the court's decision in dismissing the bail application and directing the police on arrest procedures for offences involving punishment up to seven years imprisonment.

JUDGMENT

1. Learned counsel for the rival parties are heard.

2. This is second repeat bail application u/S.438 of Cr. P.C. filed by the applicant for grant of anticipatory bail after rejection of earlier one on merits vide order dated 24/12/2019 passed in M. Cr.C. No. 52844/2019.

3. Applicant apprehends arrest in connection with offences punishable u/Ss.420, 120(B) of IPC and u/S.3(1)(Cha) of SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 registered as Crime No.142/2019 at Police Station Khaniyadhana, District Shivpuri (M.P.).

4. Learned Public Prosecutor for the State opposed the application and prayed for its rejection by contending that on the basis of the allegations and the material available on record, no case for grant of bail is made out.

5. It is seen from the case diary that the applicant is alleged with unlawful alienation of the property of member of SC/ST community. The merits of the matter have already been considered earlier. It is noticeable that the applicant has no criminal antecedents.

6. Since, prima facie, offence under the provisions of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 is made out, statutory bar contained u/S.18 of the said Act comes in way of the applicant to get benefit of bail and therefore, present second repeat bail application stands dismissed.

7. However, looking to the fact that since the offence in question attracts punishment upto 7 years and therefore, in view of the principles laid down by the Supreme Court in the case of Arnesh Kumar Vs. State of Bihar (2014) 8 SCC 273 , It is directed that in offences involving punishment upto seven years imprisonment the police may resort to the extreme step of arrest only when the same is necessary and the applicant does not cooperate in the investigation. The applicant should first be summoned to cooperate in the investigation. If the applicant cooperates in the investigation then the occasion of his arrest should not arise.

8. For ready reference and convenience the guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court in the case of Arnesh Kumar (Supra) are enumerated below:-

7.1. From a plain reading of the provision u/S.41 Cr.P.C., it is evident that a person accused of an offence punishable with imprisonment for a term which may be less than seven years or which may extend to seven years with or without fine, cannot be arrested by the police officer only on his satisfaction that such person had committed the offence punishable as aforesaid. A police officer before arrest, in such cases has to be further satisfied that such arrest is necessary to prevent such person from committing any further offence; or for proper investigation of the case; or to prevent the accused from causing the evidence of the offence to disappear; or tampering with such evidence in any manner; or to prevent such person from making any inducement, threat or promise to a witness so as to dissuade him from disclosing such facts to the court or the police officer; or unless such accused person is arrested, his presence in the court whenever required cannot be ensured.

These are the conclusions, which one may reach based on facts.

7.2. The law mandates the police officer to state the facts and record the reasons in writing which led him to come to a conclusion covered by any of the provisions aforesaid, while making such arrest. The law further requires the police officers to record the reasons in writing for not making the arrest.

7.3. In pith and core, the police officer before arrest must put a question to himself, why arrest? Is it really required ? What purpose it will serve ? What object it will achieve ? It is only after these questions are addressed and one or the other conditions as enumerated above is satisfied, the power of arrest needs to be exercised. Before arrest first the police officers should have reason to believe on the basis of information and material that the accused has committed the offence. Apart from this, the police officer has t