Neutral Citation No. - 2025:AHC-LKO:21000 Court No. - 13 Case :- CRIMINAL MISC. BAIL APPLICATION No. - 3136 of 2025 Applicant :- Anil Singh Opposite Party :- State Of U.P. Thru. Prin. Secy. Deptt. Home Govt. Of U.P. Lko. Counsel for Applicant :- Pramod Kumar Punhani Counsel for Opposite Party :- G.A. Hon'ble Manish Mathur,J. Heard learned counsel for applicant, learned Additional Government Advocate appearing on behalf of State and perused the record. This first bail application has been filed with regard to Case Crime No. 128 of 2025 under Section 319(2), 318(4), 336(3), 338, 340(2) BNS and Section 60/63 Excise Act, Police Station Thakurganj, District Lucknow. As per contents of FIR, a police team acting upon a tip off provided by police informer is said to have raided the premises in question with recovery of bottles of liquor on which allegedly the applicant alongwith co-accused were involved in affixing fabricated Q.R. codes and brand names. It has been submitted by learned counsel for applicant that he has been falsely implicated in the charges levelled against him and perusal of the F.I.R. ex facie does not indicate any allegation levelled against the applicant of manufacturing any spurious liquor. It is submitted that there is serious violation of Sections 56 and 58 of the U.P. Excise Act 1910 inasmuch as no information pertaining to alleged recovery was ever submitted nor any possession of alleged recovery of said bottle was made by Excise Officer. It is submitted that therefore mandatory conditions of Excise Act have been violated. It is submitted that even otherwise maximum punishment imposable under the sections is below seven years. The applicant is under incarceration since 10th March, 2025 with previous criminal history of two cases having been explained. Learned A.G.A. has opposed bail application but does not dispute the aforesaid facts. Upon consideration of submissions advanced by learned counsel for parties and upon perusal of material on record, prima facie subject to evidence led in trial, it appears that there is no allegation in F.I.R. with regard to manufacturing or transportation of spurious liquor. The aspect of allegation of Sections 56 and 58 of the Excise Act are required to be examined during course of trial subject to evidence. Admittedly previous criminal history of applicant of two cases has been explained. 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." Looking to the nature of allegations levelled against the applicant and submission made in the bail application, without expressing any opinion on the merits of case and considering the nature of accusation and the severity of punishment in case of conviction and the nature of supporting evidence, particularly since no reasonable apprehension of tampering with the witnesses has been alleged, prima facie, this Court finds, the applicant is entitled to be released on bail in this case. Accordingly bail application is allowed. Accordingly bail application is allowed. Let applicant Anil Singh 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 269 BNS. (iii) In case, the applicant misuses the liberty of bail during trial and in order to secure his presence proclamation under Section 84 BNSS 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 209 BNS. (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 351 BNSS. 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 :- 15.4.2025 prabhat Digitally signed by :- PRABHAT KUMAR High Court of Judicature at Allahabad, Lucknow Bench