Court No. - 66
Case :- CRIMINAL MISC. BAIL APPLICATION No. - 35169 of 2021 Applicant :- Inam Opposite Party :- State of U.P.
Counsel for Applicant :- Jagdish Prasad Mishra,Imran Mabood Khan Counsel for Opposite Party :- G.A.
Hon'ble Ajay Bhanot,J.
Heard Shri Imran Mahboob Khan, learned Senior Counsel assisted by Shri Jagdish Prasad Mishra, learned counsel for the applicant and Sri Indra Prakash Srivastava, learned A.G.A. for the State.
A first information report was lodged as Case Crime No.261 of 2021 at Police Station-Nai Mandi, District-Muzaffar Nagar under Sections 420, 413, 414 IPC and Section 3 of the Epidemic Diseases Act and Section 51 of the Disaster Management Act.
The bail application of the applicant was rejected by learned Additional Sessions Judge, Court No.7, Muzaffarnagar on 03.08.2021.
The applicant is in jail since 16.06.2021, pursuant to the said F.I.R.
Shri Imran Mahboob Khan, learned Senior Counsel assisted by Shri Jagdish Prasad Mishra, learned counsel for the applicant contend that the applicant has been falsely implicated in the instant case. The F.I.R. was lodged without authority of law. He calls attention to the statement of the Drug Inspector/informant under Section 161 Cr.P.C. which categorically asserts that the proceedings were liable to be instituted by the Drug Inspector on the complaint to be made by him before the competent trial court. The F.I.R. was lodged two days after the incident. The unexplained delay in the F.I.R. shows that the applicants were implicated as an afterthought. There is no independent witness to the recovery of the medicines. Apart from the instant case, the applicant does not have any criminal history. Lastly it is contended by the learned counsel for applicant that the applicant shall not abscond and will fully cooperate in the criminal law proceedings. The applicant shall not tamper with the evidence nor influence the witnesses in any manner.
Learned A.G.A could not satisfactorily dispute the aforesaid submissions from the record. He, however, does not dispute the fact that the applicant does not have any criminal history apart from this case.
Courts have taken notice of the overcrowding of jails during the current pandemic situation (Ref.: Suo Motu Writ Petition (c) No. 1/2020, Contagion of COVID 19 Virus in prisons before the Supreme Court of India). These circumstances shall also be factored in while considering bail applications on behalf of accused persons.
I see merit in the submissions of the learned counsel for the applicant and hold that the applicant is entitled to be enlarged on bail.
In the light of the preceding discussion and without making any observations on the merits of the case, the bail application is allowed.
Let the applicant-Inam involved in Case Crime No.261 of 2021 at Police Station-Nai Mandi, District-Muzaffar Nagar under Sections 420, 413, 414 IPC and Section 3 of the Epidemic Diseases Act and Section 51 of the Disaster Management Act, be released on bail on furnishing a personal bond and two sureties each in the like amount to the satisfaction of the court concerned subject to following conditions.
1. The applicant will not tamper with the evidence during the trial.
2. The applicant will not influence any witness.
3. The applicant will appear before the trial court on the date fixed, unless personal presence is exempted.
4. The applicant 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 from disclosing such facts to the Court to any police officer or tamper with the evidence.
In case of breach of any of the above conditions, the prosecution shall be at liberty to move bail cancellation application before this Court.
Order Date :- 20.12.2021 Ashish Tripathi