(106) IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH Date of Decision: 27.10.2025 Gurpreet Singh alias Gopi ... Petitioner Versus State of Punjab ...Respondent CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE JASJIT SINGH BEDI Present: Mr. Kartikeya Swaroop Mehta, Advocate, for the petitioner.

Mr. Harkanwar Jeet Singh, AAG, Punjab.

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JASJIT SINGH BEDI, J.

The prayer in the present petition under Section 483 BNSS, 2023 is for the grant of regular bail to the petitioner in case bearing FIR No.004 dated 15.07.2022 under Sections 384, 153, 153-A, 120-B IPC and Section 25 of the Arms Act (Sections 212, 216 IPC and Sections 3, 4, 5 of the Explosive Substances Act, 1908 added later on), registered at Police Station State Special Operation Cell, SAS Nagar.

2. The brief facts of the case are that SI Harminder Singh, SSOC, Mohali had received secret information that Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh Dala and Gurjant Singh alias Janta against whom a number of cases were pending, had gone abroad on fictitious passports and were indulging in illegal activities in connivance with the agents of the ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence of Pakistan). They had supplied a heavy quantity of arms and ammunition to their accomplices in India and were targeting the people for ransom with an intention to create communal tensions in Punjab, they alongwith the agents of the ISI were likely to target the leaders of religious associations and political parties thereby disturbing peace in the society. Accordingly, the instant FIR came to be registered.

During the course of investigation, secret information was received on 28.07.2022 by the investigating agency that Shahrukh Khan (since granted bail vide order dated 11.08.2023 passed in CRM-M-52819- 2022) and one Sumit Kumar (since granted bail vide order dated 01.09.2023 passed in CRM-M-42141-2023) were constantly in touch with the abovementioned accused. Sumit Kumar and Shahrukh Khan had been promised a payment of Rs.8 lacs by Arsh Dalla and Gurjant Singh. On that date i.e. 28.07.2022, Sumit Kumar and Shahrukh Khan were roaming at the Airport road on a motorcycle bearing No.HR-79C-9707 and had come to collect ransom from some persons at the asking of Arsh Dalla. Accordingly, Sumit Kumar and Shahrukh Khan were nominated as accused in the present case and were arrested on 28.07.2022.

During search of Shahrukh Khan, one .315 bore loaded with one live cartridge alongwith two other live cartridges came to be recovered from him. Similarly, from Sumit Kumar one pistol .32 bore pistol having four live cartridges in it were recovered. During the investigation, Sumit Kumar and his Shahrukh Khan revealed that they had been in contact with Arsh Dalla and were to kill a person in Mohali for a sum of Rs.8. Thereafter, certain other persons were also to be targeted but they had been apprehended by the police.

During the course of further investigation, Jagatbir Singh @

Jagta, Dalvir Singh Dhira, Ravinder Singh @ Giana, Deepak Sharma, Sandeep, Vipan Jakhar and Sunny Dagar were nominated as accused in the instant case.

Deepak Sharma and Sunny Dagar disclosed the name of the present petitioner.

3. The learned counsel for the petitioner contends that the petitioner has been falsely implicated in the present case. He has been named in the disclosure statement of one of the arrested accused which has no evidentiary value. As he is in custody since 25.08.2022 but only 01 of the 14 prosecution witnesses has been examined so far, the Trial of the present case is not likely to be concluded anytime soon and therefore, he is entitled to the concession of bail, moreso, when two co-accused have been granted the concession of bail.

4. The learned counsel for the State, on the other hand, while referring to the reply dated 05.05.2025 which is already on record, contends that the petitioner is a part of large gang indulging in anti-national activities. Therefore, the nature of the allegations levelled against him does not entitle him to the grant of bail. He, however,