Gujarat High Court
Haribhai Megrajbhai Gadhvi vs State Of Gujarat on 29 October, 2024
NEUTRAL CITATION
R/CR.MA/20652/2024 ORDER DATED: 29/10/2024
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IN THE HIGH COURT OF GUJARAT AT AHMEDABAD
R/CRIMINAL MISC.APPLICATION (FOR REGULAR BAIL - BEFORE
CHARGESHEET) NO. 20652 of 2024
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HARIBHAI MEGRAJBHAI GADHVI & ANR.
Versus
STATE OF GUJARAT
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Appearance:
MS POONAM M MAHETA(11265) for the Applicant(s) No. 1,2
DARSHAN M VARANDANI(7357) for the Respondent(s) No. 1
MR RONAK RAVAL, APP for the Respondent(s) No. 1
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CORAM:HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE HASMUKH D. SUTHAR
Date : 29/10/2024
ORAL ORDER
1. RULE. Learned APP waives service of rule for the respondent-State.
2. The present application is filed under Section 483 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (for short "BNSS") for regular bail in connection with FIR being C.R. No.11205043240959 of 2024 registered with Bhuj City B- Division Police Station for the offences punishable under Sections 61(2), 189(2) 191(2), 191(3), 190, 329(4), 324(5), 115(2), 351(2), 296(b) 331(5) 331(6), 113(3), 114(4) of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (for short "IPC") / The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (for short "BNS") and Section 135(1) of the GP Act and Section 25(1-B) and 27 of the Arms Act.
3. Learned Advocate appearing on behalf of the applicant submits that the applicant has nothing to do with the offence Page 1 of 6 Uploaded by ALI ISTAYAK(HC01093) on Wed Oct 30 2024 Downloaded on : Wed Oct 30 21:45:53 IST 2024 NEUTRAL CITATION R/CR.MA/20652/2024 ORDER DATED: 29/10/2024 undefined and he is falsely implicated in the offence. The applicant is in jail since 31.08.2024. The complainant alleges that the accused assembled illegally, entered the complainant's home and office at night armed with deadly weapons, vandalized property, and threatened the complainant's life. They are also said to have breached the District Collector's Arms Prohibition Notification in Bhuj-Kachchh and acted in concert to commit these offenses. The learned Advocate for the applicants submits that no one was physically injured, nor did anyone require hospital treatment. Furthermore, the Advocate contends that the applicants had no role in the alleged crime and has no criminal record. It is further submitted that, considering the nature of the offence, the applicant may be granted regular bail with the imposition of suitable conditions.
4. Learned advocate for the original complainant has vehemently opposed the bail application and has submitted that presenting a pen drive with incident footage, photos of damaged vehicles, and arguing that bail may lead to threats against the victim and witnesses, potentially obstructing the investigation. The complainant asserts that the offense is grave, affecting society at large, and requests bail application may be dismissed.
5. Learned APP appearing on behalf of the respondent- State has opposed grant of regular bail looking to the nature and gravity of the offence. Therefore, the present application may be dismissed.
6. While granting bail, the Court has to consider the Page 2 of 6 Uploaded by ALI ISTAYAK(HC01093) on Wed Oct 30 2024 Downloaded on : Wed Oct 30 21:45:53 IST 2024 NEUTRAL CITATION R/CR.MA/20652/2024 ORDER DATED: 29/10/2024 undefined involvement of the accused in the alleged offence, the jurisdiction to grant bail has to be exercised on the basis of the well settled principles having regard to the facts and circumstances of each case and the following factors are to be taken into consideration while considering an application for bail: (i) the nature of accusation and the severity of the punishment and the nature of the materials relied upon by the prosecution; (ii) reasonable apprehension of tampering with the witnesses and threat to the complainant or the witnesses; (iii) reasonable possibility of securing the presence of the accused at the time of trial or the likelihood of his abscondence; (iv) character behaviour and standing of the accused and the circumstances which are peculiar to the accused; (v) larger interest of the public or the State and similar other considerations are required to be considered.
7. I have heard the learned advocates appearing on behalf of the respective parties and perused the investigation papers. Following aspects have been considered:
(1) Substantial part of the investigation is over; (2) The allegations against the applicants are that they unlawfully assembled and assaulted the victim while armed with deadly weapons. However, no one sustained injuries, although they did cause damage to the vehicle. (3) No possibility of tampering the evidence. (4) Now, nothing required to discover or recover from the accused and There is no possibility of the trial taking place in the near future.Page 3 of 6 Uploaded by ALI ISTAYAK(HC01093) on Wed Oct 30 2024 Downloaded on : Wed Oct 30 21:45:53 IST 2024
NEUTRAL CITATION R/CR.MA/20652/2024 ORDER DATED: 29/10/2024 undefined
8. This Court has also taken into consideration the law laid down by the Hon'ble Apex Court in the case of Sanjay Chandra vs. Central Bureau of Investigation reported in [2012]1 SCC 40 as well as in the case of Gudikanti Narasimhulu And Ors vs. Public Prosecutor, High Court of Andhra Pradesh reported in (1978)1 SCC 240. Obviously, the conclusion of trial will take time and keeping the accused behind the bars is nothing but amounts to pre-trial conviction and therefore, considering the celebrated principle of bail jurisprudence is that "bail is a rule and jail is exception" as well as the concept of personal liberty guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India, present application deserves consideration .
9. In the facts and circumstances of the case and considering the nature of the allegations made against the applicant/s in the FIR, without discussing the evidence in detail, prima facie, this Court is of the opinion that this is a fit case to exercise the discretion and enlarge the applicant/s on regular bail. Hence, the present application is allowed. The applicants is/are ordered to be released on regular bail in connection with FIR being C.R. No.11205043240959 of 2024 registered with Bhuj City B- Division Police Station on executing a personal bond of Rs.25,000/- (Rupees Twenty-five Thousand only) with one surety of the like amount to the satisfaction of the trial Court and subject to the conditions that he shall;
(a) not take undue advantage of liberty or misuse liberty;
(b) not act in a manner injurious to the interest of the prosecution & shall not obstruct or hamper the police Page 4 of 6 Uploaded by ALI ISTAYAK(HC01093) on Wed Oct 30 2024 Downloaded on : Wed Oct 30 21:45:53 IST 2024 NEUTRAL CITATION R/CR.MA/20652/2024 ORDER DATED: 29/10/2024 undefined investigation and shall not to play mischief with the evidence collected or yet to be collected by the police;
(c) surrender passport, if any, to the Trial Court within a week;
(d) not leave the State of Gujarat without prior permission of the Trial Court concerned;
(e) mark presence before the concerned Police Station once in a month for a period of six months between 11.00 a.m. and 2.00 p.m.;
(f) furnish the UIDAI Number, Contact Number/s, Passport Number (if he is having the passport), E-mail address and present address of his residence to the Investigating Officer and also to the Court at the time of execution of the bond and shall not change the residence without prior permission of Trial Court;
(g) not indulge in any illegal activity or any similar type of offence. If the applicant is found in any illegal activity or any similar type of activity, then, concerned Investigating Officer shall have liberty to file an application for cancellation of bail against the present applicant.
In case of breach of any conditions, the concerned Trial Court shall have liberty to cancel the bail of the present applicant;
(h) not enter into the territorial limits of Bhuj district till the charge-sheet is filed except for the purpose of marking presence or attending trial.
10. The authorities will release the applicant/s only if he is not Page 5 of 6 Uploaded by ALI ISTAYAK(HC01093) on Wed Oct 30 2024 Downloaded on : Wed Oct 30 21:45:53 IST 2024 NEUTRAL CITATION R/CR.MA/20652/2024 ORDER DATED: 29/10/2024 undefined required in connection with any other offence for the time being. If breach of any of the above conditions is committed, the Sessions Judge concerned will be free to issue warrant or take appropriate action in the matter.
11. Bail bond to be executed before the lower Court having jurisdiction to try the case. It will be open for the concerned Court to delete, modify and/or relax any of the above conditions, in accordance with law.
12 At the trial, the trial Court shall not be influenced by the observations of preliminary nature qua the evidence at this stage made by this Court while enlarging the applicant/ on bail.
13. Rule is made absolute to the aforesaid extent. Direct service is permitted.
(HASMUKH D. SUTHAR,J) ALI Page 6 of 6 Uploaded by ALI ISTAYAK(HC01093) on Wed Oct 30 2024 Downloaded on : Wed Oct 30 21:45:53 IST 2024