$~1 * IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI % Date of Decision: 16.04.2026 + BAIL APPLN. 373/2026 & CRL.M.A. 2897/2026 MEHBOOB HASSAN .....Petitioner Through: Mr. Osama Suhail, Mr. Samma Suhail, Ms. Antara Chaudhary and Ms. Sanya, Advocates.

versus STATE GOVT OF NCT OF DELHI .....Respondent Through: Mr. Sanjeev Sabharwal, APP for State with IO/Inspector Sonu Ram.

Mr. Shakil Sheikh, Advocate for complainant.

CORAM: JUSTICE GIRISH KATHPALIA J U D G M E N T (ORAL)

1. The accused/applicant seeks anticipatory bail in case FIR No.422/2025 of PS Shaheen Bagh for offence under Section

287/105/106(1)/326(g) of BNS.

2. The status report has not been filed on behalf of State, which conveys an impression that the Investigating Officer is not serious in opposing this BAIL APPLN. 373/2026 Page 1 of 6 pages Digitaly signed by GIRISH KATHPALIA Signature Not Verified GIRISH D 2 4 . 5 N 5 5 . : 4 6 c . 9 2 = a 0 IN f = 3 , 8 9 o 4 6 = 0 2 H 1 c d 6 IG f d b H 8 4 8 C 8 9 O 3 b 5 U 2 d R 7 4 a T 3 7 O 5 7 f F b 9 2 7 D 6 f E 6 2 L 5 6 H f c I a , c e c 4 a a , f ec ou=HIGH COURT OF DELHI,CID - 7047638, KATHPALIAp se o r s ia ta lN lC u o m d b e= er 1 = 1 d 0 3 0 e 0 8 3 6 , 7 st 9 = 6 D 4 e 5 l 1 h e i, c 45c07b5d1

1e26fa, cn=GIRISH KATHPALIA By:RAHUL YADAV Date: 2026.04.16 06:12:31 -07'00'

anticipatory bail application. However, I have heard learned counsel for accused/applicant and learned APP for State assisted by Investigating Officer/Inspector Sonu Ram.

3. Broadly speaking, prosecution allegation is that the accused/applicant deliberately set a building afire, in which one of the occupants died while the remaining escaped. According to prosecution, one of the floors of that building was occupied by the son of the accused/applicant and his family, who had estranged relations with the accused/applicant because he got married against wishes of the accused/applicant. The accused/applicant is sought to be connected with the alleged incident solely on the basis of CCTV footage of the area, in which footage son of the accused/applicant identified the accused/applicant solely on the basis of gait.

4. Learned counsel for accused/applicant submits that the accused/applicant is embroiled in multiple litigations with his brother arising out of property disputes and son of the accused/applicant is siding with brother of the accused/applicant. It is further submitted by learned counsel for accused/applicant that on account of those multiple disputes, some of which are criminal cases as well, brother and son of the accused/applicant have been getting him implicated in one or the other false case. It is further submitted that one of such cases was a murder case in which ultimately the accused/applicant got acquitted. Further, it is contended that the accused/applicant had no reason to set afire the entire building, just because he had estranged relations with his son and daughter-in-law. Lastly, as per BAIL APPLN. 373/2026 Page 2 of 6 pages Digitaly signed by GIRISH KATHPALIA GIRISH D 2. N 5. : 4 c .2 = 0 IN = , 8 o 4 = 0 H 1d IG d H 8 8 C 9 O b U 2 R 7a T 7 O 7 F b 2 D f E 6 L 5 H f I, e4afec4

5569af3962c6fb4835d435f97626cacca, Signature Not Verified KATHPALIA o p se u o r = s ia t H a lN l I C G u o H m d C b e O = er 1 U = 1 R d 0 T 3 0 O e 0 8 3 F 6 , D 7 st E 9 = L 6 D H 4 e 5 I, l C 1 h e I i D , c 4 - 5 7 c 0 0 4 7 7 b 6 5 3 d 8 1 , 55

6fa, cn=GIRISH KATHPALIA Digitally Signed Date: 2026.04.16 06:12:21 -07'00'

learned counsel, the accused/applicant joined investigation subsequent to receipt of notice, which was issued by the Investigating Officer in response to a letter written by the accused/applicant to be called for investigation.

5. Learned APP for State accompanied with Investigating Officer submits that the identity of the accused/applicant is established on the basis of series of CCTV footages depicting his movement from his sister’s house at 02:38am to his own house at 02:42am, from where he came out at 04:03am and reached near the spot on his scooty a