AMAN CHAUDHARY J.(Oral)

1. Prayer in the present petition filed under Section 483 BNSS is for grant of regular bail to the petitioner in case FIR No.165 dated 19.12.2020 registered under Section 409 of IPC and under Section 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 at Police Station Dehlon, District Police Commissionerate Ludhiana.

2. Learned counsel contends that the petitioner is 65 years old and has been in custody for more than 4 months. Further, there is a delay of 2 years in lodging the FIR. He had already retired from the post of Secretary of the Cooperative Society on 30.04.2020, and has been falsely implicated by the society members in connivance with each other to cover up their own embezzlement by shifting the burden upon him, whereas during his service, no inquiry was even conducted. The challan stands presented on 21.07.2025. Charges have not yet been framed, and in all, there are 15 prosecution witnesses. The petitioner is involved in two more cases, in which he is on bail. Reliance is placed on the judgment passed by Hon'ble The Supreme Court titled as Maulana Mohd. Amir Rashadi vs. State of U.P. and others, 2012(2)

SCC 382.

3. Learned State counsel opposes the ba