IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB & HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH

229 CRM-M-15698-2026 Date of decision: 24.03.2026 MANEET MALHOTRA ….Petitioner Versus STATE OF PUNJAB ....Respondent CORAM:- HON'BLE MS. JUSTICE RUPINDERJIT CHAHAL Present:- Mr. Chandra Kumar Jha, Advocate for the petitioner.

Mr. Amit Shukla, DAG, Punjab.

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RUPINDERJIT CHAHAL, J. (ORAL)

1. The present petition has been preferred under Section 528 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, assailing the impugned order dated 28.05.2025 (Annexure P-3), whereby the learned Judicial Magistrate Ist Class, Jalandhar has declared the petitioner as a proclaimed person.

2. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that FIR No.200 dated 01.10.2021 under Sections 420/506/120B of IPC, 1860 and Section 13 of Punjab Travel Professionals (Regulation) Act, 2014 and Section 254 of Immigration Act registered at P.S. Division No.6, Jalandhar. He submits that the petitioner has appeared before the Investigating Officer and got recorded his statement on 15.09.2020 and thereafter the petitioner never received any notice or intimation and on 19.02.2025, the proclamation was issued against the petitioner. His absence ultimately resulted in him being