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2025 DAILYLAW 109314 (ALL)

AMIT PASI v. STATE OF U.P.

BAIL/44091/2024 · 2025-03-02

Vivek Varma

body2025

Judgment text

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Neutral Citation No. - 2025:AHC:29308 Court No. - 67 Case :- CRIMINAL MISC. BAIL APPLICATION No. - 44091 of 2024 Applicant :- Amit Pasi Opposite Party :- State of U.P. Counsel for Applicant :- Swati Agrawal Srivastava Counsel for Opposite Party :- G.A.,Pankaj Dwivedi,Satya Nand Tripathi Hon'ble Vivek Varma,J. 1. Supplementary affidavit filed by the counsel for the applicant, is taken on record. 2. Heard counsel for the applicant, Sri Pankaj Dwivedi, learned counsel for the informant as well as Sri Neeraj Kumar Sharma, learned A.G.A. for the State-opposite party and perused the record. 3. The instant bail application under Section 483 BNSS has been filed with the prayer to enlarge the applicant on bail in Case Crime No. 243 of 2024, under Sections 191(2), 191(3), 190, 109(1), 308(4), 352, 351(3), 3(5) BNS, Police Station- George Town, District- Prayagraj during the pendency of the trial. 4. Counsel for the applicant contends that the applicant has been falsely implicated in the present case. In the first information report, nine persons including the applicant are nominated. The applicant has been assigned the role of threatening. In the alleged incident, no person has received any injury. No CCTV footage has been collected by the Investigating Officer. It is next contended that the co-accused Ashu Sonkar has been granted bail by the Sessions Judge, Prayagraj vide order dated 25.10.2024 passed in Bail Application No. 5246 of 2024 (Ashu Sonkar Vs. State of U.P.). The criminal history of the applicant has been explained in para nos. 12 and 14 of the bail application. The applicant is in jail since 06.10.2024. In case he is enlarged on bail, he will not misuse the said liberty. 5. Learned AGA and the counsel for the informant have opposed the prayer for bail. They submit that the applicant has criminal antecedents. 6. After hearing the rival contentions, this Court is of the prima facie opinion that in the alleged incident, no person has received any injury. The applicant has been assigned the role of threatening. No CCTV footage has been collected by the Investigating Officer. The co-accused Ashu Sonkar has been granted bail by the Sessions Judge, Prayagraj. 7. In so far as criminal antecedents of the applicant is concerned, it is not the case of the State that applicant might tamper with or otherwise adversely influence the investigation, or that he might intimidate witnesses before or during the trial. The State has also not placed any material that applicant in past attempted to evade the process of law. In the opinion of this Court if the accused is otherwise found to be entitled to bail, he cannot be denied bail only on the ground of criminal history, no exceptional circumstances on the basis of criminal antecedents have been shown to deny bail to accused, hence, the Court does not feel it proper to deny bail to the applicant just on the ground that he had criminal antecedent. 8. In Ash Mohammad Vs. Shiv Raj Singh, (2012) 9 SCC 446, the Apex Court in para 30 has observed:- "We may hasten to add that when we state that the accused is a history- sheeter we may not be understood to have said that a history-sheeter is never entitled to bail. But, it is a significant factor to be taken note of regard being had to the nature of crime in respect of which he has been booked." 9. In the case of Prabhakar Tewari Vs. State of U.P. and another, 2020 (11) SCC 648, the Hon'ble Supreme Court has observed that pendency of several criminal cases against an accused may itself cannot be a basis for refusal of bail. 10. The principle that Bail is a rule and Jail is an exception has been well recognized by Apex Court more specifically on the touch stone of Article 21 of the Constitution. The said principle has been reiterated by the Apex Court in Satyendra Kumar Antil Vs. Central Bureau of Investigation and another, 2022 (10) SCC 51. 11. It is settled principle of law that the object of bail is to secure the attendance of the accused at the trial. Learned A.G.A. for the State and the counsel for the informant have not shown any material or circumstances that the accused/applicant is not entitled to bail in larger interest of the public or State. 12. Further, the applicant has remained confined for more than four months, there is no hope of early conclusion of trial and without commenting on the merits of the case, I am of the opinion that the applicant is entitled to be enlarged on bail. 13. Let the applicant Amit Pasi involved in the aforesaid case be released on bail on his furnishing a personal bond and two heavy sureties each in the like amount to the satisfaction of the court concerned subject to the conditions that he: (i) shall appear on the date fixed by the trial court; (ii) shall not tamper with the prosecution evidence; and, (iii) shall not pressurize the prosecution witnesses. 14. In case of breach of any of the above conditions, the prosecution shall be at liberty to move bail cancellation application before this Court. Order Date :- 3.3.2025 Lbm/- Digitally signed by :- LAL BAHADUR MAURYA High Court of Judicature at Allahabad