IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB & HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH

219 Date of decision: July 3^rd, 2025 Sandeep Kumar @ Banti .....Petitioner Versus State of Haryana .....Respondent

2. CRM-M No.61002 of 2024 (O&M)

Naresh Singh .....Petitioner Versus State of Haryana .....Respondent

3. CRM-M No.2769 of 2025 (O&M)

Om Parkash alias Kalu .....Petitioner Versus State of Haryana .....Respondent

4. CRM-M No.6861 of 2025 (O&M)

Rinku Singh .....Petitioner Versus State of Haryana .....Respondent

5. CRM-M No.8369 of 2025 (O&M)

Lokesh .....Petitioner Versus State of Haryana .....Respondent CORAM: HON'BLE MRS. JUSTICE MANJARI NEHRU KAUL Present: Mr. D.S. Matya, Advocate for the petitioners (in CRM-M-60405-2024 and CRM-M-61002-2024).

Mr. Bipan Ghai, Senior Advocate with Mr. Nihil Ghai and Mr. Nikhil Thamman, Advocates for the petitioner (in CRM-M-2769-2025).

Mr. Manu Sachdeva and Mr. Raghav Chhabra, Advocates for Mr. Abhimanyu Singh, Advocate for the petitioners (in CRM-M-6861-2025 and CRM-M-8369-2025).

Mr. Rajat Gautam, Additional Advocate General, Haryana.

Mr. Mukesh Rao, Advocate with Mr. Shubham Aneja, Advocate for the complainant.

MANJARI NEHRU KAUL , J .

The present batch of petitions is being disposed of by way of this common order, as all the petitions arise out of the same FIR i.e. FIR No.354 dated 26.08.2021 under Sections 148, 149, 323, 325, 452, 307, 302, 506 and 120-B of the IPC registered at Police Station Sadar Nuh.

2. The FIR in question (Annexure P-1 in CRM-M-60405- 2024) was registered pursuant to an occurrence, wherein Vipin (since deceased) and others were allegedly assaulted by an unlawful assembly. The petitioners herein, namely Sandeep Kumar alias Banti, Naresh Singh, Om Prakash alias Kalu, Rinku Singh and Lokesh have approached this Court seeking the concession of regular bail under Section 483 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS).

3. It is alleged in the FIR that all the petitioners formed part of an unlawful assembly and were involved in a fatal assault. While the names of the petitioners are contained in the FIR, the initial attribution of injuries was omnibus in nature, without detailing specific overt acts, 4. Mr. Bipan Ghai, Senior Advocate, learned senior counsel for petitioner Om Prakash alias Kalu, Mr. D.S. Matya, learned counsel for petitioners Sandeep Kumar alias Banti and Naresh Singh and Mr. Manu Sachdeva, learned counsel for petitioners Rinku Singh and Lokesh submit:

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The petitioners have been falsely implicated and no fatal injuries are attributed to them •

As per depositions of the witnesses placed on record, petitioner-Naresh Singh is alleged to have caused injuries on the chest and back of the deceased with a stick; petitioner-Om Prakash alias Kalu is alleged to have given a stick blow on the left hand of the deceased and on the forehead of the complainant; petitioner-Sandeep Kumar alias Banti is attributed a lathi blow to the leg and eye of the deceased •

The fatal head injuries have not been attributed to either of the above three petitioners but have been specifically attributed to co-accused petitioners-Lokesh and Rinku Singh (in CRM-M-8369-2025 and CRM-M-6861-2025 respectively).

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The petitioners have been in custody for a significant period-petitioner Naresh Singh since 27.08.2021, petitioner Om Prakash alias Kalu since 10.01.2022, and petitioner Sandeep Kumar alias Banti since 16.06.2022.

5. It has been further contended by the learned counsels that the petitioners have no criminal antecedents and are not involved in any other case.

6. It has also been submitted that co-accused Pawan, who is alleged to have inflicted injuries similar to those attributed to petitioner Naresh Singh has already been granted bail by this Court in CRM-M-43394- 2024 vide order dated 25.11.2024.

7. Learned counsel for the petitioners Lokesh and Rinku Singh have argued that both these petitioners have also been in custody for a considerable period of time: petitioner Lokesh has been in custody since 03.09.2021 and petitioner Rinku Singh