IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH

255 CRM-M-17140-2026 (O&M)

Decided on: 12.05.2026 JAGDEEP SINGH @ DEEP …...Petitioner Versus STATE OF PUNJAB …...Respondent CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SUBHAS MEHLA Present: Ms. Sakshi Mittal, Advocate for the petitioner.

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SUBHAS MEHLA, J. (Oral)

1. The present petition has been filed under Section 483 BNSS, 2023 seeking grant of regular bail to the petitioner in case bearing FIR No.77 dated 19.06.2025 under Sections 318(4), 319(2), 336(3), 338, 340(2), 111 and 61(2) of BNS, 2023, registered at Police Station Division No.4, Patiala.

2. Allegations against the present petitioner are that the petitioner alongwith other co-accused after hatching criminal conspiracy, committed fraud with Civil Courts, Patiala by furnishing false and frivolous bail bonds and surety bonds before Civil Courts by preparing forged and fabricated documents like Adhar Card, jamabandis and valuation reports etc..

3. Learned counsel for the petitioner contended that the petitioner has been falsely implicated in this case; the co-accused namely, Jai Kishan Bhardwaj has already been granted the concession of regular bail vide order dated 06.11.2025 passed by this Court in CRM-M-50351- 2025 (Annexure P-5) as well as, Kulwinder Singh @ Rohit, Vikram Kumar, Lovepreet Singh @ Lavi, Renu Kant and Hakam Singh have been granted regular bail by way of common order passed by a Coordinate Bench of this Court vide order dated 10.03.2026 passed in CRM-M-67300-2025, CRM-M-69519-2025, CRM-M- 71225-2025, CRM-M-71584-2025 & CRM-M-71645-2025, respectively; the petitioner is having clean & clear antecedents and is not involved in any other case; the petitioner has been in custody since 24.06.2025; trial is likely to take long time, as such, no fruitful purpose would be served by keeping the petitioner behind the bars.

4. Notice of motion.

5. On advance notice, Mr. D.S. Malwai, Addl. A.G., Punjab, who is present in the Court, accepted notice on behalf of respondent-State and opposed the concession of regular bail to the petitioner and submitted that the petitioner is involved in a racket that provides fake sureties to secure the release of the accused persons from the custody. However, it is fairly admitted that the case of present petitioner is on similar footing as that of co-accused namely, Jai Kishan Bhardwaj who has already been granted bail by this Court vide order dated 06.11.2025 passed by this Court in CRM-M-50351-2025.

6. Heard.

7. Taking into consideration the facts & circumstances of the present case, the rival contentions of the parties & without commenting upon the merits of the present case, this Court finds merit in the present petition on the following aspects:

(I) the case of the present petitioner is on similar footing as that of co-accused who have already been granted concession of regular bail;

(II) the petitioner is having clean & clear antecedents and is not involved in any criminal activities;

(III) the petitioner has been in custody since 24.06.2025 i.e.

for the last more than 10 months;

(V) Trial is likely take sufficient time to conclude and as such, no fruitful purpose would be served by keeping him in custody for indefinite period

8. Concession of bail cannot be denied just as a measure of punishment as culpability is to be decided by trial Court after appreciating evidence adduced by the parties, and it is a trite principle of criminal jurisprudence that bail is rule, jail is an exception, this Court deems it a fit case to grant the concession of regular bail to the petitioner. 9. Therefore, without expressing any opinion on the merits of the case, the present petition is allowed. The petitioner is directed to be released on regular bail on his furnishing requisite bonds to the satisfaction of the trial Court/Duty Magistrate/Chief Judicial Magistrate concerned.

10. Nothing observed herein shall be construed as an opinion on the merits of the main case.

(SUBHAS MEHLA)

JUDGE

12.05.2026

Sonia Puri

Whether Speaking/