ORDER

These are applications seeking pre-arrest bail filed under Section

438 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 .

2. Petitioners in B.A.No.8132/2022, are accused Nos. 1 & 3 while the petitioner in B.A.No.7837/2022, is accused No.2 (wrongly mentioned as accused No.3 in the bail application) in Crime No.849/2022 of Kattakkada Police Station, alleging offences punishable under Sections 294 (b), 341, 342, 323, 324 and 354 r/w Section 34 of Indian Penal Code, 1860 .

3. According to the prosecution, 1st accused is the station master of the KSRTC Aryanad depot, while 2nd accused is a clerk and the 3rd accused is a conductor employed with the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC). Petitioners along with other accused formed themselves into an unlawful assembly on 20.09.2022 and verbally abused and assaulted the defacto complainant and his daughter who had approached them to renew a concession certificate. Though initially, the offence under Section 354 IPC was not included, subsequently, on the basis of the statement of the daughter of the defacto complainant, the offence under the said Section was also added, alleging that the accused had outraged the modesty of the defacto