ORDER

The application is filed under Section 438 of the Code of Criminal procedure, 1973 (in short, 'Code'), for an order of pre-arrest bail.

2. The petitioners are the accused 1 to 5 in Crime No.1366/2023 of the Mannarkkad Police Station, Palakkad, which is registered against them for allegedly committing the offence punishable under Section 420 of the Indian Penal Code (in short, ' IPC ').

3. The crux of the prosecution case is that: the accused persons had induced the defacto complainant to invest Rs.10,00,000/- with them on the assurance of paying 12% profit and subsequently giving them profit in the business and also free medical aid. However, the accused failed to pay any interest, profit and refused to give free medical aid. The accused 1 to 3 are the Directors of the CVR Specialty Hospital at Kunthipuzha, and the accused 4 and 5 are the employees of the said Hospital. The accused had received the deposit with an intention to cheat the defacto complainant. Thus, the accused have committed the above offence.

4. Heard; Sri.Rafeek V.K., the learned counsel appearing for the petitioner, Smt.Seetha S., the learned Senior Public Prosecutor and Sri.Vinod Kumar, the learned counsel