Neutral Citation No. - 2025:AHC:25079 Court No. - 65 Case :- CRIMINAL MISC. BAIL APPLICATION No. - 41527 of 2024 Applicant :- Pintu Gupta @ Ajeet Kumar Gupta Opposite Party :- State Of U.P. And 3 Others Counsel for Applicant :- Dharmendra Prasad,Suryakant Verma Counsel for Opposite Party :- G.A.,Mohan Kant Baghel AND Case :- CRIMINAL MISC. BAIL APPLICATION No. - 42091 of 2024 Applicant :- Pintu Gupta @ Ajeet Kumar Gupta Opposite Party :- State Of U.P. And 3 Others Counsel for Applicant :- Dharmendra Prasad,Suryakant Verma Counsel for Opposite Party :- G.A.,Mohan Kant Baghel,Pawan Kumar Hon'ble Krishan Pahal,J. 1. List has been revised. 2. Heard Sri Dharmendra Prasad, learned counsel for the applicant and Sri Abhay Pratap Singh, holding brief of Sri Mohan Kant Baghel, learned counsel for the informant as well as Sri V.K.S. Parmar, learned A.G.A. for the State and perused the record. 3. Applicant seeks bail in Case Crime No. 283 of 2023, under Sections 363, 370, 376, 506 I.P.C. read with Section 3/4 of the POCSO Act and Case Crime No.429 of 2024 under sections 137(2), 87, 64 of BNS read with Section 3/4 of the POCSO Act, Police Station Firozabad North, District Firozabad, during the pendency of trial. PROSECUTION STORY: 4. The FIR was instituted against unknown person regarding missing of the minor daughter of the informant aged about 15 years since 17.04.2023 ARGUMENTS ON BEHALF OF APPLICANT : 5. The applicant has been falsely implicated in the present case and he has nothing to do with the said offence. 6. The FIR is delayed by about six hours and there is no explanation of the said delay caused. 7. Subsequent to it, another FIR of missing of the victim was instituted by the informant which was registered as Case Crime No.429 of 2024 and the statement of the victim under section 164 Cr.P.C was recorded and initially, in her statement she has stated that she was enticed away by her teacher and she was married with the applicant without her consent but subsequently, in her statement recorded under section 183 BNSS, the victim has stated that she loved the applicant and she had gone with him out of her own sweet will. 8. The victim has expressed her consent to spend her life with the applicant and she has also stated that she wants to marry him. 9. It is a clear cut case of false implication. 10. The victim in her statement recorded under section 183 BNSS has stated her age to be 16 years, although by her physical appearance, she seems to be major. 11. The applicant himself is aged about 45 years. 12. Several other submissions have been made on behalf of the applicant to demonstrate the falsity of the allegations made against him. The circumstances which, as per counsel, led to the false implication of the applicant have also been touched upon at length. 13. There is no criminal history of the applicant. The applicant is languishing in jail since 06.07.2024. The applicant is ready to cooperate with trial. In case, the applicant is released on bail, he will not misuse the liberty of bail. ARGUMENTS ON BEHALF OF INFORMANT : 14. The bail application has been opposed on the ground that the applicant is aged about 45 years and he has misused his clout and age by enticing away the minor daughter of the informant, as such her consent, if any, pales into insignificance, as such, the applicant is not entitled for bail. CONCLUSION: 15. In light of the judgement of the Supreme Court passed in Niranjan Singh and another vs Prabhakar Rajaram Kharote and others AIR 1980 SC 785, this Court has avoided detailed examination of the evidence and elaborate documentation of the merits of the case as no party should have the impression that his case has been prejudiced. A prima facie satisfaction of case is needed but it is not the same as an exhaustive exploration of the merits in the order itself. 16. The well-known principle of "Presumption of Innocence Unless Proven Guilty," gives rise to the concept of bail as a rule and imprisonment as an exception. 17. A person's right to life and liberty, guaranteed by Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, cannot be taken away simply because the person is accused of committing an offence until the guilt is established beyond a reasonable doubt. Article 21 of the Indian Constitution states that no one's life or personal liberty may be taken away unless the procedure established by law is followed, and the procedure must be just and reasonable. The said principle has been recapitulated by the Supreme Court in Satender Kumar Antil Vs. Central Bureau of Investigation and Ors., 2022 INSC 690. 18. Reiterating the aforesaid view the Supreme Court in the case of Manish Sisodia Vs. Directorate of Enforcement 2024 INSC 595 has again emphasised that the very well-settled principle of law that bail is not to be withheld as a punishment is not to be forgotten. It is high time that the Courts should recognize the principle that "bail is a rule and jail is an exception". 19. Learned AGA could not bring forth any exceptional circumstances which would warrant denial of bail to the applicant. 20. It is settled principle of law that the object of bail is to secure the attendance of the accused at the trial. No material particulars or circumstances suggestive of the applicant fleeing from justice or thwarting the course of justice or creating other troubles in the shape of repeating offences or intimidating witnesses and the like have been shown by learned AGA. 21. Considering the facts and circumstances of the case, submissions made by learned counsel for the parties, the evidence on record, and without expressing any opinion on the merits of the case, the Court is of the view that the applicant has made out a case for bail. The bail application is allowed. 22. Let the applicant- Pintu Gupta @ Ajeet Kumar Gupta involved in aforementioned case crime numbers 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. (i) The applicant shall not tamper with evidence. (ii) The applicant shall remain present, in person, before the Trial Court on dates fixed for (1) opening of the case, (2) framing of charge and (3) recording of statement under Section 313 Cr.P.C./351 B.N.S.S. If in the opinion of the Trial Court absence of the applicant is deliberate or without sufficient cause, then it shall be open for the Trial Court to treat such default as abuse of liberty of bail and proceed against him in accordance with law. 23. In case of breach of any of the above conditions, it shall be a ground for cancellation of bail. Identity, status and residence proof of the applicant and sureties be verified by the court concerned before the bonds are accepted. 24. It is made clear that observations made in granting bail to the applicant shall not in any way affect the learned trial Judge in forming his independent opinion based on the testimony of the witnesses. Order Date :- 20.2.2025 Sumit S (Justice Krishan Pahal) Digitally signed by :- SUMIT SRIVASTAVA High Court of Judicature at Allahabad