Grant of bail under Section 439 CrPC is a discretionary power to be exercised judiciously, weighing the gravity of the offence, prima facie evidence, and potential risks like witness tampering or absconding, especially in heinous crimes like murder.

THIS CRL.P. IS FILED U/S 439 OF CR.PC (FILED U/S 483 BNSS) PRAYING TO ENLARGE THE PETITIONER ON BAIL FROM THE OFFENCE REGISTERED BY VISHWANATHAPURA POLICE IN CR.NO.22 OF 2022, DATED 08.03.2022 CURRENTLY PENDING ON THE FILE OF S.C NO.15039/2022 BEFORE THE V ADDL. DIST. AND SESSIONS JUDGE AT DEVANAHALLI TRAIL COURT U/S 302, 201, 506 OF IPC.

THIS PETITION, COMING ON FOR ORDERS, THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER:

CORAM:

HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE M.NAGAPRASANNA

ORAL ORDER

The petitioner - the sole accused is before the Court seeking his enlargement on bail for it having been turned down by the concerned Court.

There was no representation on behalf of the learned counsel for the petitioner on 07.04.2026 nor there is representation today. Therefore, Sri. B.N. Jagadeesha, the learned Additional SPP is heard in the matter.

The complaint comes to be registered on 08.03.2022, which becomes a crime in Crime No.22 of 2022 for the offences punishable under Sections 302, 201 and 506 of the IPC. The police then conduct investigation and file a charge sheet arraigning the petitioner alone as the sole accused in the matter. The summary of the charge sheet as obtaining in Column No.17, which draws only the petitioner as accused, reads as follows:

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A perusal at the summary of the charge sheet would indicate that the dead body was found in the backyard of the petitioner and there were eyewitnesses present for the incident.

The issue therefore is whether the petitioner who is accused of an offence under Section 302 of the IPC deserves to be released on bail. The issue need not detain this Court for too long nor delve deep into the matter. The Apex Court in the case of STATE OF KERALA v. MAHESH¹(2021) 14 SCC 86, observes as follows:

"….…. …….. ……..

15. It is well settled that though the power to grant bail under Section 439CrPC is discretionary, such discretion has to be exercised judiciously, as held by this Court in Ram Govind Upadhyay v. Sudarshan Singh [ Ram Govind Upadhyay v. Sudarshan Singh , (2002) 3 SCC 598 : 2002 SCC (Cri) 688] . Speaking for the Court, Umesh Chandra Banerjee, J. said : (SCC p.