Andhra Pradesh High Court - Amravati
Veeranki Venkata Ramana vs The State Ofap on 8 October, 2021
THE HON'BLE SMT. JUSTICE LALITHA KANNEGANTI
CRIMINAL PETITION No.5187 of 2021
ORDER:
This petition is filed under Sections 437 and 439 of Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (for short "Cr.P.C") seeking regular bail to the petitioner/A-9 in connection with Crime No.260 of 2021 of Marturu Police Station, Prakasam District, wherein the petitioner is alleged to have committed the offence punishable under Section 379 r/w 34 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (for short "IPC"); Section 20 (1)(c)(ii)(iii) r/w 20 (d) (l), 29(ii)(4)(a) of A.P. Forest (Amendment) Act, 2016l; Rule 3 of A.P. Sandalwood Transit Rules, 1969; Section 51 of Wildlife Protection Act, 1997 and Section 3 of Prevention of Damage to Public Property
2. The case of the prosecution is that on 25.07.2021 at 9.00 p.m. on receipt of credible information about illegal transportation of red sandal, the Inspector of Police, Inkollu Circle along with staff and mediators went to Bollapalli village near Toll gate on NH-16 and found one Bolero Vehicle bearing No.AP39 TJ 9849, on seeing the police the driver of vehicle i.e. A-7 tried to escape, but the police caught hold of him and he confessed that A-3 and A-4 used to procure red sandal logs from A-5 and A-6 and transporting the same to the buyers with the help of petitioner, A-1 and A-2. Police seized 24 red sandal logs weighing about 472.150 Kgs worth Rs.20 lakhs under the cover of mediatornama, basing on which, the present crime was registered. Later, basing on the confession of A- 7, petitioner was arrested and remanded to judicial custody on 14.08.2021.
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3. Heard Sri Venkateswarlu Kolla, learned counsel for petitioner and learned Assistant Public Prosecutor for respondent- State.
4. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that petitioner is innocent and he has not committed any offence. He submits that A-8 and A-12 in this case were already granted regular bail by the Court below by order dated 29.09.2021 by observing that they are in judicial custody from 07.08.2021 and material part of investigation is already completed.
5. Taking into consideration the fact that A-8 and A-12 were already granted regular bail by the Court below and petitioner is languishing in jail from 14.08.2021, this Court deems it appropriate to grant bail to the petitioner.
7. In the result, the criminal petition is allowed and the petitioner /A-9 shall be enlarged on bail in connection with Crime No.260 of 2021 of Marturu Police Station, Prakasam District, on his executing a bond for a sum of Rs.20,000/- (Rupees twenty thousand only) with two sureties each for a likesum to the satisfaction of Additional Judicial Magistrate of First Class, Addanki. The petitioner shall appear before the Station House Officer, Marturu Police Station on every Monday and Thursday between 10.00 a.m. and 1.00 p.m. till filing of charge sheet.
As a sequel, all the pending miscellaneous applications shall stand closed.
___________________________ LALITHA KANNEGANTI, J 8th October, 2021 PVD 3 THE HON'BLE SMT. JUSTICE LALITHA KANNEGANTI (allowed) CRIMINAL PETITION No.5187 of 2021 8th October, 2021 PVD