Neutral Citation No. - 2025:AHC-LKO:27187 Court No. - 13 Case :- CRIMINAL MISC. BAIL APPLICATION No. - 3911 of 2025 Applicant :- Amirta Devi Opposite Party :- State Of U.P. Thru. Principal Secretary Home Lko Counsel for Applicant :- Chandresh Mani Shukla Counsel for Opposite Party :- G.A. Hon'ble Manish Mathur,J. 1. Heard learned counsel for applicant and learned Additional Government Advocate appearing on behalf of opposite party-State. 1A. Supplementary affidavit filed today is taken on record. 2. First bail application has been filed with regard to Case Crime No.59 of 2024 under Sections 409 I.P.C. and Section 3/7 Essential Commodities Act, P.S. Sadullanagar, District Balrampur. 3. As per contents of first information report, Applicant who was a licensee of fair price shop was subject to constant complaints made by card holders whereafter an enquiry was held against her and on complaints being found established, her licence has been cancelled with present F.I.R. also being lodged. 4. Learned counsel for applicant submits that applicant has been falsely implicated in the charges levelled against her and that there are serious infirmities in the enquiry which was conducted against her but due to applicant being in jail, she is not able to file an Appeal. It is submitted that previous criminal history of applicant of one case has been explained in the supplementary affidavit filed today. 5. Learned Additional Government Advocate appearing on behalf of State has opposed the bail application but does not dispute the fact that previous criminal history of one case against applicant has been explained. 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 the parties and perusal of material on record, prima facie, and subject to further evidence being led in trial, it appears that applicant has been taken into custody on the basis of enquiry conducted against her with regard to complaints of irregular distribution pertaining to fair price shop. It also appears that after fair price shop licence of applicant was cancelled, she was required to transfer the stock to other fair price shop licensee but has transferred quantity which was substantially less than what was required to be transferred. Aforesaid aspect, however, would be subject to evidence during course of trial. Applicant is under incarceration since 20.02.2025 with his criminal history of one case having been explained. As such, without expressing any opinion on merits of the case, this Court finds, the applicant is entitled to be released on bail in this case. 8. Accordingly bail application is allowed. 9. Let applicant Amirta Devi, involved in aforesaid case crime be released on bail on his/her 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/she 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/her 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/her 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/her, 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/her in accordance with law. Order Date :- 9.5.2025 kvg/- Digitally signed by :- GIREESAN KV High Court of Judicature at Allahabad, Lucknow Bench