Himachal Pradesh High Court
S/O Late Sh. Ishak vs State Of Himachal Pradesh on 12 May, 2022
Author: Vivek Singh Thakur
Bench: Vivek Singh Thakur
IN THE HIGH COURT OF HIMACHAL PRADESH AT SHIMLA
ON THE 12TH DAY OF MAY, 2022
BEFORE
HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE VIVEK SINGH THAKUR
.
CRIMINAL MISC. PETITION (MAIN) NO.570 OF 2022
Between
IBRAHIM
S/O LATE SH. ISHAK,
R/O VILLAGE SAHASAPUR, ALEENAGAR,
DIDAULI AMROHA, DIDAULI,
UTTAR PRADESH - 244222
.....PETITIONER
(BY SHRI RAJESH KUMAR PARMAR, ADVOCATE)
AND
STATE OF HIMACHAL PRADESH
....RESPONDENT
(BY SHRI HEMANT VAID, ADDITIONAL ADVOCATE GENERAL)
Reserved on : 27.4.2022
Decided on : 12.5.2022
Whether approved for reporting?
This petition coming on for pronouncement this day, the
Court passed the following:
ORDER
By way of this petition, petitioner is seeking regular bail under Section 439 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (in short 'Cr.P.C.'), in case FIR No.34 of 2021, dated 5.3.2021, registered in Police Station Sadar, Shimla, H.P., under Sections 363, 366A, 370(4), 506, 201 and 120B of the Indian Penal Code (in short 'IPC').
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2. The petitioner was arrested on 8.3.2021 and, after remaining in police custody, now he is in judicial custody.
3. Petitioner had approached this Court earlier also by .
filing applications for bail, being CRMPM No.609/2021, which was dismissed on 9.8.2021; and CRMPM No.2082/2021, which was withdrawn on 7.12.2021.
4. Status report(s) stand filed, wherein it is stated that on 5.3.2021 victim, aged about 15 years, who is studying in Class 9th, had left her home at 9.30 a.m. to attend her school i.e. Sanatan Dharam Senior Secondary School, Ganj Bazaar, Shimla, and when she did not return home in the evening, her father, on inquiry, had received information that on that day students were not called in the school. With aforesaid details, father of the victim had approached Police Station Sadar, Shimla, with suspicion that someone had abducted his daughter after alluring and misleading her.
5. It is further stated in Status Report that on complaint of father of the victim, case under Section 363 IPC was registered and investigation started. During investigation, location of mobile number of victim was found in Haryana leading to the clue to the police that victim was travelling towards Delhi. Whereupon, police party was sent to Delhi in search of victim and it was also found that victim was having too many talks on two mobile numbers (96398-21301 and ::: Downloaded on - 12/05/2022 20:06:14 :::CIS CRMPM No.570/2022 ...3...
62382-27896), therefore, CDRs and location of those two numbers were also requisitioned.
6. Investigating Officer, on 6.3.2021, after reaching in .
Police Station Badarpur, Delhi, started investigation and found that last location of victim, on 5.3.2021 at about 8.19 p.m., was found at Panipat and thereafter her phone was found switched off. From CDRs of two mobile numbers, Investigating Officer had contacted on some mobile numbers, which were found in contact of these two mobile numbers and during this exercise, one mobile number 95606-42747 was found to be of one Jatin Malik, who, in response, informed the Investigating Officer that he is having a Maruti Car bearing registration No.DL9CAP-3819 and on 5.3.2021 he had gone to Ambala from Delhi to drop a passenger and at Ambala a girl had met him, who had disclosed that she was going to Delhi, whereupon, when he was taking that girl to Delhi alongwith him and had reached near Panipat, mobile phone of that girl had switched off and for that reason that girl had contacted someone through his (Jatin's) mobile and the person, with whom she had talked, had disclosed his name to him (Jatin) as Zuber and further that Zuber had told him that one boy will send him location from mobile number 96671-56859 and had asked him (Jatin) to drop the victim on that location and thereafter on receiving location of Badarpur, Delhi from the aforesaid number, he had dropped ::: Downloaded on - 12/05/2022 20:06:14 :::CIS CRMPM No.570/2022 ...4...
the victim at Badarpur NTPC Chowk at about 10.30 p.m. on 5.3.2021, wherefrom a boy had taken her.
7. During investigation, it was revealed that the boy, .
who had sent the location, was the petitioner (Ibrahim) residing at Badarpur in a room rented in a building known as 'Akash'.
During search for the petitioner, his room was found locked and it came in notice that he was hiding in some other house in the room of his friend, wherefrom he was apprehended and taken to Badarpur Police Station and shown to Jatin, and Jatin had identified him the same boy to whom he had handed over the girl on 5.3.2021.
8. During interrogation, the petitioner had disclosed that on 5.3.2021 he had received calls from Zuber and Nazim @ Sameer, the boys belonging to his village, who were working with him earlier at Delhi, but presently Zuber was at Chennai, whereas, Nazim @ Sameer was in Kerala. He had further revealed that both of them had informed him that one 'X' named girl (victim) would come in some vehicle at Badarpur NTPC Gate and they had asked him to take her to his quarter and further that on request of these two persons he had taken the victim from Badarpur NTPC Gate to his room in 'Akash' building and had kept her in his room on 5.3.2021 and 6.3.2021 and, on 7.3.2021, he had taken the victim to Dhakia and as he was anticipating that police would be in his search, therefore, he was not sleeping in his room but was staying with his friend.
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The petitioner had also disclosed that victim, at the time of investigation, was in Dhakia and his elder brother Istiyaak, who is serving at Delhi and living with him in the same room, had .
also gone to Village Sahaspur near Dhakia and on his message he would come to Badarpur alongwith victim. The petitioner had also disclosed that Nazim @ Sameer was intending to marry victim, and Nazim @ Sameer and Zuber had called victim to Delhi, but Zuber was at that time at Chennai and Nazim @ Sameer was in Kerala and, therefore, victim was housed with him.
9. On 8.3.2021 at about 9.30 a.m. Istiyaak (brother of petitioner Ibrahim) and Nasrin, on message, had brought victim to Police Station Badarpur, Delhi, who was identified by her father and thereafter victim had identified the places where she was dropped from the car and also the room of petitioner Ibrahim.
10. On 10.3.2021, statement of victim was also recorded under Section 164 Cr.P.C. and considering the circumstances revealed, during investigation and from statement of victim, Sections 366A, 370(4), 506 and 120B IPC were also added in the case. As per record age of victim is 14 years 11 months.
11. During investigation, it has also come that Nazim @ Sameer had been in contact of victim since last five months, after sending her friend requests on FACEBOOK and thereafter ::: Downloaded on - 12/05/2022 20:06:14 :::CIS CRMPM No.570/2022 ...6...
they were in regular contact of the victim and it has been contended that the petitioner was an active participant in commission of offence as he received the victim at Badarpur .
from Taxi Driver and thereafter kept her in his room and managed her shifting from Badarpur to the house of Ivad and Nasrin.
12. Victim, in her statement, recorded under Section 164 Cr.P.C., has stated that she received a friendship request on the FACEBOOK and repeated messages from Juber and he was threatening that in case she did not come, he will kill her and her family members and would upload her photographs on FACEBOOK, and as Zuber was forcing her daily through such messages, she left her home for Delhi and she was guided to board bus of Delhi and to alight from the bus at the place where the bus would stop. She has further stated that Zuber had booked a taxi from Ambala to Badarpur and that Zuber was not messaging her from his own phone but from the phone of another boy namely Sameer, i.e. Nazim and when Nazim came to know that Zuber was doing wrong with her then he made a call to his friend Ibrahim (petitioner) and asked him to receive her, whereupon Ibrahim came to the place where taxi had to arrive wherefrom she was taken by Ibrahim to his house and during that period Ibrahim had apprised her about the wrong which was going to occur with her. She has further stated that Nazim and Ibrahim had asked mobile number of her father so ::: Downloaded on - 12/05/2022 20:06:14 :::CIS CRMPM No.570/2022 ...7...
that they could take her to her parents and when Zuber came to know that she was staying with Ibrahim he started threatening both of them and forced them not to send her back .
with assertion that wherever she was, he would be coming to take her alongwith him to Kerala. She has stated that H.P. Police traced the number of Zuber and when he came to know about it, he made a call to one girl namely Sonali and told her a false story that her (victim) father used to beat and coerce her, but Sonali reported it to the police and made a statement to the police, disclosing the address where she (victim) was staying and police traced the number of Ibrahim and on next day Ibrahim left her in the house of Nazim and thereafter H.P. Police took Ibrahim with them and inquired about her whereabouts, whereupon Ibrahim disclosed her address and brother of Ibrahim brought her to the police where her father was also present.
13. Learned counsel for the petitioner has contended that petitioner was not having any role in alluring or enticing the victim to leave her home. He was asked by his friend Nazim to help the victim by making arrangement for her stay, as she was alone having no shelter in Delhi and he was not knowing anything about the plan either of Zuber or of Nazim.
He has further submitted that Zuber or Nazim would be able to disclose the real facts but the petitioner had come into picture only when he received the victim and arranged for her stay, on ::: Downloaded on - 12/05/2022 20:06:14 :::CIS CRMPM No.570/2022 ...8...
their request. It has been further submitted that the petitioner kept the victim safely, firstly at his place and thereafter when he again and again asked Nazim to relieve him from the .
responsibility of the victim, Nazim had asked him to take the victim to his sister's house and accordingly petitioner had acted and handed over the victim to the sister of Nazim for safety of the victim as well as to relieve himself from responsibility of the victim.
14. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that petitioner was acting innocently and was not having any knowledge about the conspiracy, if any, between Nazim and Zuber and he knew the facts not more than the facts and circumstances disclosed to him either by Nazim or Zuber or victim and on smelling something wrong he was repeatedly calling Zuber and Nazim to relieve him from responsibility of the victim and ultimately he had handed over the victim in the hands of sister of Nazim.
15. Learned Additional Advocate General has pointed out that in earlier petition Cr.MP(M) No.609 of 2021, it was submitted on behalf of petitioner that he had received the girl on the request of main accused Mohammad Nazim and Mohammad Zuber and during night time he was not having any other option but to keep the girl in his room for her safety and that number of calls between the petitioner and the main accused were for the reason that the petitioner had been ::: Downloaded on - 12/05/2022 20:06:14 :::CIS CRMPM No.570/2022 ...9...
asking and pressurizing the main accused to make arrangement for the girl, who was received by the petitioner on request of main accused. It was also submitted that petitioner .
was never intending to keep the girl in his room but for her safety he had kept her in his room without harming her in any manner and, therefore, as suggested and guided by main accused Nazim and Zuber, the petitioner had handed over the girl to sister of main accused and, therefore, petitioner was not at fault nor was he having knowledge about intention of the main accused, if any, and, thus, even if prosecution story of conspiracy regarding trafficking of the girl is believed, then also petitioner had never been party to such plan of the main accused. According to the learned counsel, had it been so, the petitioner would not have kept the victim in his safe custody for two days and there was no overt act on the part of petitioner in leaving of the house by the victim, rather victim had voluntarily left her house and when she reached Delhi, the petitioner had only helped her by providing shelter to her.
16. Reiterating the stand of the State taken in earlier bail applications of the petitioner, learned Additional Advocate General has submitted that Call Detail Record (CDR) of accused Nazim, Zuber and Ibrahim establishes that petitioner had not only facilitated the commission of offence but also was an active party in trafficking the victim from one place to other.
To establish participation of petitioner in conspiracy to commit ::: Downloaded on - 12/05/2022 20:06:14 :::CIS CRMPM No.570/2022 ...10...
the offence, he has referred to CDR from 5.3.2021 to 6.3.2021, indicating that petitioner was in continuous contact with main accused Mohammed Nazim and Zuber and during this period .
there are more than 100 calls between them. It has been further submitted that there was a big conspiracy to traffic the victim to Dubai or any other foreign country via Kerala or otherwise, wherein petitioner has active role and, therefore, he does not deserve to be enlarged on bail as on his release there is every possibility of his fleeing from justice and it would be very difficult to apprehend him. So, the learned Additional Advocate General has prayed for dismissal of the bail application.
17. Learned Additional Advocate General has submitted that Zuber was calling/messaging the petitioner from the phone of Nazim @ Sameer and, therefore, impression of the victim, as given by Nazim or by the petitioner, is farce. He has submitted that all of them have connived with each other to force the victim to leave her home and then to transmit her to Dubai and it is case of human trafficking by Zuber and Nazir with the help of others involved in the entire episode and petitioner Ibrahim is one of such persons having an active role in the commission of offence.
18. It has been pointed out by learned Additional Advocate General that though petitioner, cleverly, has succeeded to create an impression to the victim that she was ::: Downloaded on - 12/05/2022 20:06:14 :::CIS CRMPM No.570/2022 ...11...
helped by him and Nazim but from statement of victim, recorded under Section 164 Cr.P.C., it is evident that they were also active partners in commission of offence because it has .
come in statement of victim that Juber was contacting her through Mobile phone of Nazim @ Sameer and further after knowing that Police had reached Delhi and traced Ibrahim on his mobile, instead of handing over the victim to the Police, petitioner took her to village of Nazim's sister and hid himself.
Had he been innocent and helping the girl, he would have come forward and would have handed over the girl to the police and father of the girl.
19. Learned Additional Advocate General has submitted that the petitioner alongwith main accused has planned in such a clever way that physically it is not visible that they have any role in the commission of offence, as they managed to believe leaving of house by the girl to be an act committed by her at her own volition and when the girl reached Ambala, they managed taxi of a third person for her arrival at Delhi and the petitioner came in picture only at Delhi at the time of receiving the girl, leaving no evidence available to disclose the role of petitioner and other co-accused in trafficking the girl from Shimla to Delhi and their plan to traffic her to a foreign country could not be materialized for minority of the girl. It has further been submitted that had the petitioner been acting bonafide he would not have hidden himself in the room of his friend on ::: Downloaded on - 12/05/2022 20:06:14 :::CIS CRMPM No.570/2022 ...12...
account of fear of raid by the police in his room. According to learned Additional Advocate General, petitioner's conduct reflects that he is one of main conspirators and knowing the .
result of his participation in the commission of offence.
20. Learned Additional Advocate General has submitted that there is no change in circumstances since dismissal of previous bail application till date and that keeping in view the nature, gravity and seriousness of offence, for the manner in which victim has been managed to be transported/travelled from Shimla to a remote village of Uttar Pradesh in an organized manner, bail application deserves to be dismissed.
21. In earlier petitioner Cr.MP(M) No.609 of 2021, filed by the petitioner, this Court had observed as under:
"16. Undoubtedly, as pleaded by learned counsel for the petitioner, bail is rule and jail is exception. But, at the same time, this rule does not mean that in every case bail is to be granted in all eventualities. The Supreme Court, in its various pronouncements, as also referred by this Court in State of Sandeep v. State of Himachal Pradesh, reported in 2019(1) Shim.LC 263, has culled out various factors and parameters to be taken into consideration at the time of deciding the bail applications, which also include denial of bail based on those factors and principles. The general rule 'bail but not jail' cannot be used as a weapon to render the provisions, empowering the Court to reject the bail redundant and/or as a guiding factor to enlarge an accused on bail, in every case.
17. It has been stated in the Status Report that the case in the trial Court is fixed for consideration of charges on 27.12.2021. It has further been stated that petitioner has been found actively involved in receiving the girl, keeping her with him and, instead of informing the police or her parents about her arrival at Delhi, he ::: Downloaded on - 12/05/2022 20:06:14 :::CIS CRMPM No.570/2022 ...13...
has shifted her to a remote village in Uttar Pradesh and, thereafter, hide himself in the room of his friend to avoid police raid in his room to conceal the arrival of the girl at Delhi. Therefore, it has been contended by the learned Additional Advocate General that at this initial stage of .
trial when there is no change in circumstance, release of the petitioner on bail would have adverse impact on the society, encouraging the law-breakers involved in commission of offence of trafficking the women within and out of country."
22. First bail application of the petitioner was dismissed on 9.8.2021. Thereafter, petitioner had preferred Cr.MP(M) No.2082 of 2021 which was dismissed on 7.12.2021. Learned counsel for the petitioner has failed to point out change in circumstance thereafter as on date.
23. Without commenting upon the merits of the case, considering entire facts and circumstances brought before me and taking into consideration the factors and parameters required to be considered at the time of considering bail application, I am of the opinion that, at this stage, petitioner is not entitled for bail.
24. Observations made in this petition hereinbefore, shall not affect the merits of the case in any manner and are strictly confined for the disposal of the present bail petition.
Accordingly, the bail application is dismissed and disposed of.
( Vivek Singh Thakur )
May 12, 2022(sd) Judge
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