Grant of bail is appropriate where the accused is charged with possession of counterfeit currency without evidence of counterfeiting (printing), has no criminal antecedents, and the charge-sheet has been filed, rendering further custodial interrogation unnecessary.

1. Heard, Learned counsel for the applicant, Learned A.G.A. for the State and perused the record.

2. The instant bail application has been filed with a prayer to release the applicant on bail in Case Crime No.14 of 2026, under Sections 178 , 179, 180, 182 of B.N.S. 2023 , Police Station- Akbarpur, District- Kanpur Dehat.

3. The Learned counsel for the applicant submits that the applicant has been falsely implicated in the present case. The applicant and the co-accused Ram Shankar Chauhan were arrested having in their alleged possession fake currency notes amounting to Rs.78,500/-. The Learned counsel for the applicant further contends that the applicant is a labourer who was being asked to work without payment by the complainant and on his refusal, he has been implicated in the present case. The applicant has no criminal antecedents. He further submits that currency notes that have been recovered from the possession of the applicant have been planted. The case set up by the prosecution is only on the basis of the confessional statement of the applicant and the co-accused. No material with respect to printing counterfeit notes has been recovered from the possession or the pointing out of the applicant. The applicant is in jail since 11.01.2026.

4. The Learned A.G.A. has opposed the prayer for grant of bail and has contended that the applicant has been found in possession of counterfeit currency notes. The co-accused, Ajeet, against whom the investigation is still pending along with the applicant and other accused persons, was involved in printing counterfeit currency notes. The Learned A.G.A., however, could not dispute the fact that the applicant has no criminal antecedents.

5. I have considered the submissions made by the Learned counsels for the parties and perused the record.

6. The applicant has been found in possession of fake currency notes. Merely possessing fake currency notes is punishable with a maximum imprisonment of seven years. No material has been found from the possession or the pointing out of the applicant to indicate that the applicant was counterfeiting currency notes. A charge-sheet has been submitted against the applicant and he is no longer required for any custodial interrogation or recoveries. The co-accused Ajeet, who is said to have been printing counterfeit notes along with the applicant has yet not been charge-sheeted and the investigation against him is said to be pending.

7. Taking into account the entire facts and circumstances of the case as enumerated above, lack of criminal antecedents, I deem it fit to enlarge the applicant on bail.

8. The bail application is allowed

9. Let the accused-applicant- Dharmendra Singh @ Arjun Singh involved in above mentioned case crime number be released on bail, on his executing a personal bond and two reliable sureties each, in the like amount to the satisfaction of the court concerned, subject to the following conditions:

i. The applicant will not tamper with the evidence.

ii. The applicant will not indulge in any criminal activity.

iii. The applicant will not pressurize/intimidate the prosecution witnesses and co-operate in the trial.

iv. The applicant will appear regularly on each and every date fixed by the trial court, unless his personal appearance is exempted by the court concerned.

10. In the event of breach of any of the aforesaid conditions, the court below will be at liberty to proceed to cancel his bail.

11. It is made clear that the applicant shall be released on the basis of computer generated copy of this