IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH Jagsir Singh @ Mantado ……Petitioner(s)

Versus State of Punjab ……Respondent(s)

Decided on : 07.03.2026 Date of uploading: 07.03.2026 CORAM: HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE SUMEET GOEL Present: Mr. Navjot Singh, Advocate for the petitioner (Through V.C.).

Mr. Gaurav Gurcharan Singh Rai, Sr. DAG, Punjab *****

SUMEET GOEL, J. (Oral)

1. Present petition has been filed under Section 482 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (hereinafter to be referred as ‘the BNSS’) for grant of pre-arrest/anticipatory bail to the petitioner in case bearing FIR No.266 dated 21.10.2025, registered for the offences punishable under Sections 109 126(2), 115(2), 351(2), 351(3), 191(3), 190 of BNS 2023, at Police Station Bhawanigarh, District Sangrur.

2. The gravamen of the FIR in question reflects that the present FIR has been registered on the basis of a complaint made by the complainant, Karanvir Singh. He has stated that he had passed 10+2 and, along with his friends Gagandeep Singh and Harmandeep Singh, was in the process of opening a cafe in the main market at village Channo, where the flooring work of their shop was underway. On the date of alleged incident i.e. 20.10.2025, at about 7:30 PM, when the complainant along with his aforesaid friends was leaving the shop on his motorcycle to go to his village Lakhowal, the petitioner (herein) alongwith his friends Sukhdeep Singh @ Prince, Sunny @ Nepali, Arshdeep Singh, Karan @ Gaira and Shauki and 2-3 unknown persons, allegedly arrived there on different vehicles. The petitioner was stated to be in an i-10 car, whereas Sukhdeep Singh @ Prince was on a motorcycle. The said persons allegedly started abusing them. The petitioner (herein) allegedly raised a lalkara exhorting that the complainant and his friends should not be allowed to escape. Thereafter, the petitioner allegedly inflicted a blow with an iron pipe fitted with a garari towards the complainant’s head with an intention to kill him. Karan @ Gaira allegedly gave a khapra blow which hit the complainant on his right elbow, whereas Sunny @ Nepali allegedly inflicted a baseball bat blow on his left knee. Upon the complainant raising an alarm, his friends Harmandeep Singh and Gagandeep Singh came to his rescue but they were also allegedly beaten up by the accused persons. Upon these set of allegations, the present FIR came to be registered against the accused persons.

3. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the petitioner is innocent and has been falsely implicated in the present case. It is further contended that there are material discrepancies between the version set out in the FIR and the statement of the complainant. Learned counsel further submits that as per the MLR, the injuries sustained by the complainant as well as his friends have been declared simple in nature and that the complainant has not suffered any grievous or life-threatening injury on his head. It is also argued that the co-accused of the petitioner, namely Sunny Singh and Sumandeep Singh @ Shaunki, have already been granted the concession of regular bail by this Court vide order dated 19.02.2026 (Annexure P-2), and therefore, the petitioner also deserves the concession of bail on the ground of parity. Learned counsel asserts that the in the instant case, the FIR fails to include material facts, which further raised questions about its credibility and fairness. Moreover, the custodial interrogation should not be used as a punitive measure and is justified only when absolutely necessary for the recovery of material evidence. Furthermore, the petitioner is ready to join the investigation and hence no useful purpose would be served by sending him behind the bars. It is lastly submitted by the learned counsel that the present petition be allowed and the petitioner be granted the concession of the anticipatory bail.

4. Per contra, learned State counsel, has vehemently opposed the grant of anticipatory bail to the petitioner by con