Neutral Citation No. - 2025:AHC-LKO:21352 Court No. - 13 Case :- CRIMINAL MISC. BAIL APPLICATION No. - 1766 of 2025 Applicant :- Mewalal Opposite Party :- State Of U.P. Thru. Prin. Secy. Home Deptt. Lko. Counsel for Applicant :- Ved Prakash Shukla,Shubham Shukla Counsel for Opposite Party :- G.A. Hon'ble Manish Mathur,J. 1. Heard learned counsel for applicant, learned Additional Government Advocate appearing on behalf of State and perused the record. 2. This first bail application has been filed with regard to Case Crime No. 216 of 2023 under Sections 419, 420, 467, 468, 471 IPC P.S. Kotwali Colonelganj, District Gonda. 3. As per contents of FIR, a fabricated will deed of deceased Rajendra Prasad was manufactured and was registered after his demise. The applicant is not nominated in the FIR. 4. It has been submitted that applicant has been falsely implicated in the charges levelled against him which would be evident from the fact that he is not nominated in the FIR and his name has been included during course of investigation as the person whose photograph was used to impersonate Rajendra Prasad. It is submitted that applicant is not a beneficiary of the alleged transaction and is under incarceration since 27.04.2024 without any previous criminal history. 5. Learned AGA appearing on behalf of State opposed the prayer for bail application with the submission that from the statement of villagers collected during the course of investigation, applicant was identified as the person whose photograph was used for purposes of impersonation late Rajendra Prasad. It is, however, admitted that applicant does not have any previous criminal history. 6. Hon'ble the Supreme Court in Sanjay Chandra v. Central Bureau of Investigation, reported in (2012) 1 SCC 40 has specifically held that bail is to be a norm and an under-trial is not required to be in jail for ever pending trial. Relevant paragraphs of the judgment are as under :- "21. In bail applications, generally, it has been laid down from the earliest times that the object of bail is to secure the appearance of the accused person at his trial by reasonable amount of bail. The object of bail is neither punitive nor preventative. Deprivation of liberty must be considered a punishment, unless it is required to ensure that an accused person will stand his trial when called upon. The courts owe more than verbal respect to the principle that punishment begins after conviction, and that every man is deemed to be innocent until duly tried and duly found guilty." "27. This Court, time and again, has stated that bail is the rule and committal to jail an exception. It has also observed that refusal of bail is a restriction on the personal liberty of the individual guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution." 7. Upon consideration of submissions advanced by learned counsel for parties, prima facie, subject to evidence being led in trial, at this stage it appears that applicant has not been nominated in the FIR and his name has been included subsequently during the course of investigation as the person whose photograph was used for purposes of impersonation of late Rajendra Prasad. The applicant is under incarceration since 27.04.2024 without any previous criminal history. The aspect of his actual impersonation of deceased or merely of his photograph being used for the purposes of impersonation is subject matter of evidence during course of trial. 8. Considering the submissions of learned counsel for the parties, nature of accusation and severity of punishment in case of conviction, nature of supporting evidence, prima facie satisfaction of the Court in support of the charge, reformative theory of punishment and considering larger mandate of the Article 21 of the Constitution of India and, without expressing any view on the merits of the case, I find it to be a fit case of bail. 9. Accordingly bail application is allowed. 10. Let applicant- Mewalal involved in the aforesaid case crime be released on bail on his furnishing a personal bond and two sureties each in the like amount to the satisfaction of the court concerned with the following conditions which are being imposed in the interest of justice:- (i) The applicant shall file an undertaking to the effect that he shall not seek any adjournment on the dates fixed for evidence when the witnesses are present in court. In case of default of this condition, it shall be open for the trial court to treat it as abuse of liberty of bail and pass orders in accordance with law. (ii) The applicant shall remain present before the trial court on each date fixed, either personally or through his counsel. In case of his absence, without sufficient cause, the trial court may proceed against him under Section 229-A of the Indian Penal Code. (iii) In case, the applicant misuses the liberty of bail during trial and in order to secure his presence proclamation under Section 82 Cr.P.C. is issued and the applicant fails to appear before the court on the date fixed in such proclamation, then, the trial court shall initiate proceedings against him, in accordance with law, under Section 174-A of the Indian Penal Code. (iv) The applicant shall remain present, in person, before the trial court on the dates fixed for (i) opening of the case, (ii) framing of charge and (iii) recording of statement under Section 313 Cr.P.C. 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. Order Date :- 16.4.2025 Satish Digitally signed by :- SATISH KUMAR BHARATI High Court of Judicature at Allahabad, Lucknow Bench