Petitioner is the first accused in Crime No.614 of 2014 of the Palakkad Kasba Police Station for the offences punishable under the Kerala Money Lender's Act of 1958 and the Kerala Prohibition of Charging Exorbitant Interest Act of 2012, apprehends arrest and has filed the application. 2. The learned Public Prosecutor has opposed the application. It is submitted that the petitioner is engaged in money lending business without licence and charging exorbitant interest. On 24.05.2014 house of the petitioner was searched and signed blank cheques, stamp papers, unfilled demand promissory note, filled promissory notes, title deeds, etc., were seized.
3. The learned counsel submits that the petitioner is undergoing treatment for various illness.
4. Petitioner has to explain his custody if any of the documents allegedly seized. Request for pre-arrest bail cannot be allowed. But I am inclined to issue directions.
The application is disposed of as under :
1. Petitioner shall surrender before the officer investigating the case on 17.06.2014 at about 10 am for interrogation.
2. In case interrogation is not completed that day, the petitioner shall appear before the officer investigating the case any other day/days and time as directed by the investigating officer.
3. In case the petitioner is arrested, he shall be produced before the jurisdictional magistrate the same day, where it is open for the petitioner to request for regular bail with intimation given to the Assistant Public Prosecutor concerned at least three working days in advance.
4. If custody of the petitioner is required for any purpose, the investigating officer can move application for the purpose.
5. Learned magistrate shall dispose of the application(s) having regard to all relevant circumstances including whether custody of the petitioner is required for seizure of any material and pass appropriate orders as early as possible.
AMV THOMAS P. JOSEPH JUDGE