Kerala High Court
Santhosh vs State Of Kerala on 4 April, 2025
Author: P.V.Kunhikrishnan
Bench: P.V.Kunhikrishnan
B.A.No.4384 of 2025
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2025:KER:29232
IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM
PRESENT
THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE P.V.KUNHIKRISHNAN
FRIDAY, THE 4TH DAY OF APRIL 2025 / 14TH CHAITHRA, 1947
BAIL APPL. NO. 4384 OF 2025
CRIME NO.558/2024 OF EDACHERRY POLICE STATION, KOZHIKODE
AGAINST THE ORDER/JUDGMENT DATED 18.03.2025 IN CRMC
NO.307 OF 2025 OF DISTRICT COURT & SESSIONS COURT,
KOZHIKODE
PETITIONER(S)/ACCUSED:
SANTHOSH, AGED 50 YEARS, S/O. KUMARAN,
CHANGARAMKANDY, MUYIPRA, PO. KURIHALIYODE
VATAKARA TALUK, KOZHIKODE, PIN - 673106
BY ADVS.
K.N.ABHILASH
SUNIL NAIR PALAKKAT
RISHI VARMA T.R.
RITHIK S.ANAND
SREEJITH A.
TEENA M. ASHOK
RESPONDENT(S)/STATE AND COMPLAINANT:
1 STATE OF KERALA
REPRESENTED BY PUBLIC PROSECUTOR,HIGH COURT OF
KERALA, PIN - 682031
2 STATION HOUSE OFFICER
EDACHERY POLICE STATION, EDACHERI, PURAMERI,
KOZHIKODE DISTRICT, PIN - 673501
BY ADV. PP - SRI. G SUDHEER
THIS BAIL APPLICATION HAVING COME UP FOR ADMISSION ON
04.04.2025, THE COURT ON THE SAME DAY DELIVERED THE
FOLLOWING:
B.A.No.4384 of 2025
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2025:KER:29232
P.V.KUNHIKRISHNAN, J
--------------------------------
B.A.No.4384 of 2025
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Dated this the 04th day of April, 2025
ORDER
This Bail Application is filed under Section 482 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita.
2. Petitioner is an accused in Crime No.558/2024 of Edachery Police Station, Kozhikode. The above case is registered against the petitioner alleging offences punishable under Sections 336(2) & 336(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (for short 'BNS').
3. The prosecution case is that the petitioner submitted an application for a building permit, accompanied by a land tax receipt showing the land as "garden land." Subsequently, it was found that the property in question was a paddy land and the documents produced were forged documents. Hence it is alleged that the accused committed the above said offences.
B.A.No.4384 of 20253
2025:KER:29232
4. Heard the learned counsel appearing for the petitioner and the learned Public Prosecutor.
5. Counsel for the petitioner submitted that the petitioner is ready to abide any conditions if this Court grants him bail.
6. The Public Prosecutor opposed the bail application.
7. This Court considered the contentions of the petitioner and the Public Prosecutor. It is true that the allegation against the petitioner is very serious. But, from the facts and circumstances of the case, I think the prosecution can prove the case through oral and documentary evidences. The custodial interrogation of the petitioner is not necessary. To complete the investigation, there can be a direction to the petitioner to surrender before the Investigating Officer and after interrogation, if the arrest of the petitioner is recorded, there can be a direction to release the petitioner on bail after imposing stringent conditions.
8. Moreover, it is a well accepted principle that B.A.No.4384 of 2025 4 2025:KER:29232 the bail is the rule and the jail is the exception. The Hon'ble Supreme Court in Chidambaram. P v Directorate of Enforcement [2019 (16) SCALE 870], after considering all the earlier judgments, observed that, the basic jurisprudence relating to bail remains the same inasmuch as the grant of bail is the rule and refusal is the exception so as to ensure that the accused has the opportunity of securing fair trial.
9. Recently the Apex Court in Siddharth v State of Uttar Pradesh and Another [2021(5)KHC 353] considered the point in detail. The relevant paragraph of the above judgment is extracted hereunder:
"12. We may note that personal liberty is an important aspect of our constitutional mandate. The occasion to arrest an accused during investigation arises when custodial investigation becomes necessary or it is a heinous crime or where there is a possibility of influencing the witnesses or accused may abscond. Merely because an arrest can be made because it is lawful does not mandate that arrest must be made. A distinction must be made between the existence of the power to arrest and B.A.No.4384 of 2025 5 2025:KER:29232 the justification for exercise of it. (Joginder Kumar v. State of UP and Others (1994 KHC 189: (1994) 4 SCC 260: 1994 (1) KLT 919: 1994 (2) KLJ 97: AIR 1994 SC 1349: 1994 CriLJ 1981)) If arrest is made routine, it can cause incalculable harm to the reputation and self-esteem of a person. If the Investigating Officer has no reason to believe that the accused will abscond or disobey summons and has, in fact, throughout cooperated with the investigation we fail to appreciate why there should be a compulsion on the officer to arrest the accused."
10. In Manish Sisodia v. Central Bureau of Investigation [2023 KHC 6961], the Apex Court observed that even if the allegation is one of grave economic offence, it is not a rule that bail should be denied in every case.
11. Considering the dictum laid down in the above decision and considering the facts and circumstances of this case, this Bail Application is allowed with the following directions:
1. The petitioner shall appear B.A.No.4384 of 2025 6 2025:KER:29232 before the Investigating Officer within two weeks from today and shall undergo interrogation.
2. After interrogation, if the Investigating Officer propose to arrest the petitioner, he shall be released on bail on executing a bond for a sum of Rs.50,000/-
(Rupees Fifty Thousand only) with two solvent sureties each for the like sum to the satisfaction of the arresting officer concerned.
3. The petitioner shall appear before the Investigating Officer for interrogation as and when required. The petitioner shall co-operate with the investigation and 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 B.A.No.4384 of 2025 7 2025:KER:29232 disclosing such facts to the Court or to any police officer.
4. Petitioner shall not leave India without permission of the jurisdictional Court.
5. Petitioner shall not commit an offence similar to the offence of which he is accused, or suspected, of the commission of which he is suspected.
6. Needless to mention, it would be well within the powers of the investigating officer to investigate the matter and, if necessary, to effect recoveries on the information, if any, given by the petitioner even while the petitioner is on bail as laid down by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in Sushila Aggarwal v. State (NCT of Delhi) and another [2020 (1) KHC 663].
7. The observations and B.A.No.4384 of 2025 8 2025:KER:29232 findings in this order is only for the purpose of deciding this bail application. The principle laid down by this Court in Anzar Azeez v. State of Kerala [2025 SCC OnLine KER 1260] is applicable in this case also.
8. If any of the above conditions are violated by the petitioner, the jurisdictional Court can cancel the bail in accordance to law, even though the bail is granted by this Court. The prosecution and the victim are at liberty to approach the jurisdictional Court to cancel the bail, if any of the above conditions are violated.
Sd/-
P.V.KUNHIKRISHNAN, JUDGE DM