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* IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI Reserved on: 28th August, 2024 Pronounced on: 18th September, 2024 +

CRL.A. 493/2023 & CRL.M.A.16870/2023 JAGTAR SINGH JOHAL @ JAGGI .....Appellant Through: Mr. Paramjeet Singh, Advocate.

versus NATIONAL INVESTIGATION AGENCY .....Respondent Through: Mr. S.V. Raju, ASG with Ms. Shilpa Singh, Spl. PP N.I.A with Ms. Zeena Malick, PP, Mr. Nishchay Johri, Adv., Mr. Ram Gopal. Dy. SP N.I.A, Mr. Pawan Singh Rana, Consultant & Mr. Manoj Kumar Yadav, Insp. N.I.A.

WITH + CRL.A. 538/2023 & CRL.M.A. 17982/2023 JAGTAR SINGH JOHAL @ JAGGI .....Appellant Through: Mr. Paramjeet Singh, Advocate.

versus NATIONAL INVESTIGATION AGENCY .....Respondent Through: Mr. S.V. Raju, ASG, Ms. Shilpa Singh, Spl. PP N.I.A with Ms. Zeena Malick, PP, Mr. Nishchay Johri, Adv., Mr. Ram Gopal. Dy. SP N.I.A, Mr. Pawan Singh Rana, Consultant & Mr.

Manoj Kumar Yadav, Insp. N.I.A.

WITH + CRL.A. 539/2023 & CRL.M.A. 17983/2023 JAGTAR SINGH JOHAL @ JAGGI .....Appellant Through: Mr. Paramjeet Singh, Advocate.

versus NATIONAL INVESTIGATION AGENCY .....Respondent CRL.A.493/2023 & connected matters Page 1 of 62 Signature Not Verified Digitally Signed Through: Mr. S.V. Raju, ASG, Ms. Shilpa Singh, Spl. PP N.I.A with Ms. Zeena Malick, PP, Mr. Nishchay Johri, Adv., Mr. Ram Gopal. Dy. SP N.I.A, Mr. Pawan Singh Rana, Consultant & Mr.

Manoj Kumar Yadav, Insp. N.I.A.

WITH + CRL.A. 540/2023 & CRL.M.A. 17984/2023 JAGTAR SINGH JOHAL @ JAGGI .....Appellant Through: Mr. Paramjeet Singh, Advocate.

versus NATIONAL INVESTIGATION AGENCY .....Respondent Through: Mr. S.V. Raju, ASG, Ms. Shilpa Singh, Spl. PP N.I.A with Ms. Zeena Malick, PP, Mr. Nishchay Johri, Adv., Mr. Ram Gopal. Dy. SP N.I.A, Mr. Pawan Singh Rana, Consultant & Mr.

Manoj Kumar Yadav, Insp. N.I.A.

WITH + CRL.A. 541/2023 & CRL.M.A. 17985/2023 JAGTAR SINGH JOHAL @ JAGGI .....Appellant Through: Mr. Paramjeet Singh, Advocate.

versus NATIONAL INVESTIGATION AGENCY .....Respondent Through: Mr. S.V. Raju, ASG, Ms. Shilpa Singh, Spl. PP N.I.A with Ms. Zeena Malick, PP, Mr. Nishchay Johri, Adv., Mr. Ram Gopal. Dy. SP N.I.A, Mr. Pawan Singh Rana, Consultant & Mr.

Manoj Kumar Yadav, Insp. N.I.A.

WITH CRL.A.493/2023 & connected matters Page 2 of 62 Signature Not Verified Digitally Signed + CRL.A. 569/2024 JAGTAR SINGH JOHAL @ JAGGI .....Appellant Through: Mr. Paramjeet Singh, Advocate.

versus NATIONAL INVESTIGATION AGENCY .....Respondent Through: Mr. S.V. Raju, ASG, Ms. Shilpa Singh, Spl. PP N.I.A with Ms. Zeena Malick, PP, Mr. Nishchay Johri, Adv., Mr. Ram Gopal. Dy. SP N.I.A, Mr. Pawan Singh Rana, Consultant & Mr. Manoj Kumar Yadav, Insp. N.I.A.

AND + CRL.A. 577/2024 JAGTAR SINGH JOHAL @ JAGGI .....Appellant Through: Mr. Paramjeet Singh, Advocate.

versus NATIONAL INVESTIGATION AGENCY .....Respondent Through: Mr. S.V. Raju, ASG, Ms. Shilpa Singh, Spl. PP N.I.A with Ms. Zeena Malick, PP, Mr. Nishchay Johri, Adv., Mr. Ram Gopal. Dy. SP N.I.A, Mr. Pawan Singh Rana, Consultant & Mr.

Manoj Kumar Yadav, Insp. N.I.A.

CORAM:

JUSTICE PRATHIBA M. SINGH JUSTICE AMIT SHARMA

JUDGMENT

Prathiba M. Singh, J.

1. This hearing has been held through hybrid mode.

2. The present batch of seven appeals filed by the Appellant-Jagtar Singh Johal @ Jaggi, arise out of five impugned orders dated 7^th September 2022 and two impugned orders dated 25^th April, 2024, in separate cases, passed by CRL.A.493/2023 & connected matters Page 3 of 62 Signature Not Verified Digitally Signed the N.I.A Special Court respectively. By the said impugned orders, the applications of the Appellant seeking bail in all seven matters have been rejected.

BACKGROUND:

3. The present appeals arise from a series of connected murders and attempt to murders that took place during the latter half of 2010 in Ludhiana and Jalandhar districts of Punjab. Following these incidents, the Punjab police filed ten First Information Reports (hereinafter ‘FIRs’) against various persons including the Appellant. The State, upon identifying these murders and attempt to murders to be a part of a