IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB & HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH ****

208 CRM-M-37319-2025 Date of Decision : 09.09.2025 PRITPAL SINGH ...Petitioner VERSUS STATE OF PUNJAB ...Respondents CORAM: HON’BLE MS. JUSTICE AARADHNA SAWHNEY Present: Mr. Deeapak Aggarwal, Advocate for the petitioner.

Mr. Kamalpreet Bawa, DAG, Punjab.

Mr. Prince Goyal, Advocate for the complainant.

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AARADHNA SAWHNEY, J. (ORAL)

1. This petition for grant of anticipatory bail under Section 482 BNSS, has been filed by petitioner, a co-accused in case bearing FIR No.164 dated 04.07.2025 registered against him and others at Police Station Canal Colony, Bathinda, District Bathinda, at the instance of Bhajan Singh (complainant), for the commission of offences punishable u/s 318(4), 336(2), 336(3), 340(2) of BNS.

2. Learned State counsel, on the instructions of ASI Kashmir Singh, states that the petitioner has joined the investigation.

3. On the previous date of hearing, following order was passed:-

“Reply by way of affidavit of Sandeep Singh, PPS, Deputy Superintendent of Police, City-1, Bathinda on behalf of respondent- State has been filed which is taken on record and a copy thereof has been supplied to the learned counsel opposite.

The petitioner and the co-accused in connivance with each other, cheated the complainant for an amount of Rs.40 lakhs by way of using fabricated identities on Aadhar Cards, whereas the petitioner was not the owner of the land in question and there was no agreement to sell in his favour. It is also stated that the petitioner is also involved in 03 more FIRs registered against him.

The petitioner although is named in the FIR, he is involved in duping the complainant.

Learned counsel for the petitioner contends that neither any amount is taken into the petitioner’s account nor he is the signatory of any document.

Adjourned to 09.09.2025.

In the meantime, the petitioner is directed to appear before the SHO/Investigating Officer as and when called upon to join investigation and in the event of his arrest, he shall be released on interim bail on his furnishing bail bonds to the satisfaction of SHO/Investigating Agency, subject to the following conditions as envisaged under Section 482(2) of the BNSS [erstwhile Section

438(2) Cr.P.C.]:-

i) that the petitioner shall make himself available for interrogation by a police officer as and when required;

ii) that the petitioner shall not, directly or indirectly, make any inducement, threat or promise to any person acquainted with the facts of the case so as to dissuade him/her from disclosing such facts to the Court or to any police officer;

iii) that the petitioner shall not leave India without the prior permission of the Court;

iv) such other condition as may be imposed under sub-section (3) of Section 480, as if the bail were granted under that section.”

4. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the petitioner has joined the investigation and that the investigating agency has not been able to collect any incriminating documents indicating that he was signatory to the sale deed or that any portion of the sale proceeds was pocketed by him. The presence of petitioner is not needed for custodial interrogation and the concession of interim anticipatory bail granted in terms of order dated 04.08.2025, be confirmed.

Mr. Prince Goyal, learned counsel for the complainant submits that petitioner and another co-accused operate a gang. They adopt noble means to defraud, cheat innocent people and deprive them of their hard earned money. Learned counsel further submits in the light of the fact that 03 other cases of like nature are registered against him, petitioner be not entitled to the grant of concession of pre-arrest bail.

5. Heard.

In the light of the submissions made by learned counsel for the petitioner, as also the fact that the petitioner had joined the investigation consequent to the order dated 04.08.2025 passed by this Court, interim bail granted vide order dated 04.08.2025 is hereby confirmed, subject to conditions