2025:UHC:10133 IN THE HIGH COURT OF UTTARAKHAND AT NAINITAL THE HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE ASHISH NAITHANI 15th November, 2025 FIRST BAIL APPLICATION NO. 184 of 2025 Manoj Puri …Applicant Versus State of Uttarakhand …Respondent Counsel for the Applicant : Mr. D.N. Sharma, Advocate through video conferencing. Counsel for the State : Mr. Siddhartha Bisht, Brief Holder. Hon’ble Ashish Naithani, J. The present Bail Application has been moved by the Applicant – Manoj Puri, aged about 34 years, S/o Shri Shankar Puri, R/o Village Harahpur, Matkali, Sainthal, Patti Bareilly, District Bareilly. The Applicant is in judicial custody in connection with FIR No. 0237 of 2023, registered at Police Station Haldwani, District Nainital, for the offences punishable under Sections 302, 394, 397 and 411 IPC. 2. Heard. 3. Mr. D.N. Sharma, learned counsel for the Applicant, and Mr. Siddhartha Bisht, learned Brief Holder for the State, have been heard and the record has been perused. 4. The present matter relates to the murder of a woman, whose dead body was found with clear signs of brutal assault and bloodstains at the scene. The son-in-law of the deceased was the first person to notice and report the incident. Upon registration of the FIR, investigation commenced and a Forensic Team was called upon. Blood samples and other forensic materials were collected from the spot to ascertain the DNA and other scientific details relevant for identifying the perpetrator. 1 First Bail Application No. 184 of 2025 – Manoj Puri vs. State of Uttarakhand. Ashish Naithani J. 2025:UHC:10133 5. Learned counsel for the Applicant submits that the Applicant has been falsely implicated in the case and has no connection with the alleged offence. He submits that the recovery of a mobile phone purportedly at the instance of the Applicant is false and fabricated. It is also submitted that there is no direct evidence against the Applicant. 6. Per contra, learned Brief Holder for the State opposes the bail application and submits that a mobile phone was recovered on the pointing out of the Applicant during the course of the investigation. 7. Without going into the merits of the matter, as any observation at this stage may prejudice the trial, and considering the FSL report as well as the fact that there is no eye-witness in the present case of murder, this Court is of the view that the Applicant has made out a fit case for grant of bail. 8. Accordingly, the Bail Application is allowed. 9. Let the Applicant be released on bail in the aforesaid case crime number, on his executing a personal bond and furnishing two reliable sureties of the like amount, to the satisfaction of the Court concerned. The Applicant shall strictly comply with the conditions of bail, if any, and shall not misuse the liberty granted to him. 10. All pending applications, if any, stand disposed of. ___________________ ASHISH NAITHANI, J. Dt: 15.11.2025 Shiksha 2 First Bail Application No. 184 of 2025 – Manoj Puri vs. State of Uttarakhand. Ashish Naithani J. SHIKSHA BINJOLA Digitally signed by SHIKSHA BINJOLA DN: c=IN, o=HIGH COURT OF UTTARAKHAND, ou=HIGH COURT OF UTTARAKHAND, 2.5.4.20=3410ef86ae41ec9fbabcd5dba6b3a2c24b5aa08b09c12f21822fbd40bf639b1c, postalCode=263001, st=UTTARAKHAND, serialNumber=FD80A2D028949381C52796A542D7FF0A9BED00E67B5283D205F18FE29BDF5DD9, cn=SHIKSHA BINJOLA Date: 2025.11.15 13:17:39 +05'30'