2025:HHC:20195 IN THE HIGH COURT OF HIMACHAL PRADESH, SHIMLA Cr.MP(M) No. :   1172 of 2025 Reserved on :  23 rd   June, 2025 Decided on    :  27 th   June, 2025 Raghveer  Singh …Applicant Versus State of Himachal Pradesh …Respondent Coram The Hon’ble Mr. Justice Virender Singh, Judge. Whether approved for reporting?1 For the applicant   : Mr. K.S. Gill, Advocate. For the respondent   : Mr. Mohinder   Zharaick,   Additional Advocate   General,   assisted   by   ASI Mahesh Kumar, I.O. Police Station, Nalagarh, District Solan. Virender Singh, Judge Applicant   Raghveer   Singh,   apprehending   his arrest,  in   case   FIR   No.100   of   2025,   dated   24.03.2025, registered, under Sections 310(2), 331(4) and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (hereinafter referred to as ‘BNS’),   and   Section   25   of   the   Arms   Act,  has   filed   the present application,  under Section 482 of the Bharatiya 1 Whether Reporters of local papers may be allowed to see the judgment? Yes. 2 2025:HHC:20195 Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (hereinafter referred to as ‘BNSS’). 2. By way of the present application, indulgence of this   Court   has   been   sought  to   direct   the   Police/ Investigating   Officer   of   Police   Station   Nalagarh,   District Solan, H.P., to release him on bail, in the event of his arrest, in the above noted case. 3. According   to   the   applicant,   he   is   innocent person and has falsely been implicated, in this case, as, his name has even not been figured in the FIR. He is stated to have   been   implicated   in   this   case,   on   the   basis   of   the alleged   disclosure   statement   made   by   accused   Jujhar Singh @ Billu. 4. The   applicant   has   asserted   that   he   is permanent resident of the address, as mentioned in the applicant. 5. The applicant has reiterated the fact that he has nothing to do with the offences, for which, he has been named, as accused, in this case. 3 2025:HHC:20195 6. It is the case of the applicant that one case has also been registered against under Section 109 of the BNS is pending against him, in the State of Punjab. 7. Apart from this, the applicant has given certain undertakings, for which, he is ready to abide by, in case, any direction is issued under Section 482 BNSS. 8. On the basis of the above facts, a prayer has been made to allow the application. 9. When   put   to   notice,   the   police   has   filed   the status report, disclosing therein, that  on 23.03.2025, an information was received in Police Control Room from one Om Prakash from his mobile No.98051­84972, with regard to the fact that some boy, after showing the weapon to him, had stolen Rs.30,000/­ from his shop and requested that action be taken against them. 9.1. Thereafter,   ASI   Mahesh   Kumar,   along   with other police official, in order to verify the facts, reached at the place known as Sainimajra, where, the complainant Om Prakash, who had informed the police, had produced a complaint before the police, disclosing therein, that he is 4 2025:HHC:20195 resident of the address, as mentioned in the complaint and is running a shop in front of LSI Factory. 9.2. According to the complainant, on 23.3.2025, at about 8.45 p.m., when, he was present in his shop, then, three boys, having muffled their face, came to his shop. Out of them, one was Sikh and two were clean shaven. The Sikh person was having sword, in his hand and the two others were having country made pistols, in their hands. 9.3. After showing the said pistols, they had stolen Rs.35,000/­  from the chest/Galla of his shop. Lastly, he has stated that he has not sustained any injury and he was all alone in the shop. 9.4. On   the   basis   of   the   above   facts,   the   police registered   the   FIR,   in   question   and   criminal   machinery swung into motion. 10. During   investigation,   spot   map   was   prepared and photographs were clicked. From the CCTV footage obtained from the area, it was found that at about 8.46 p.m.,   in   front   of   the   shop   of   the   complainant,   two motorcyclists stopped their motorcycles. 2­2 persons, total 4 persons, were there on the motorcycles, who had muffled 5 2025:HHC:20195 their faces. Out of 4 persons, three persons had entered in the shop of the complainant and one person remained on the motorcycle. 11. After sometime, three persons were seen coming out of the shop of the complainant, one person was having sword in his hand and one was seen concealing pistol in his trousers and the third person, who was behind him, has also  muffled his face  and was  having  pistol  in his hand. Thereafter,   all   of   them   had   fled   away   towards Nalagarh, on their motorcycles. 12. On the basis of the CCTV footage, ASI Mahesh Kumar, reached at village Basot. He has also downloaded, the footage  of CCTV installed there. In the said CCTV footage, at about 9.04 p.m., all the four persons were again seen. The   said   persons   were   also  found  to   be  moving towards   village   Sarsa,   in   the   CCTV   footage,   which   was obtained from the camera installed in a house at village Manguwal Doyadi. 13. On   26.03.2025,   the   service   provider   was directed to supply the cell­ID. On the basis of dump data, the mobile phone No.86289­63922 and 83603­34095, were 6 2025:HHC:20195 found to be suspicious. The CDRs were perused, according to which, the mobile phone No.86289­63922, was found to be registered in the name of accused Jujhar Singh. 14. As per the Cell­ID, the presence of the mobile phone No.86289­63922 was found to be at Goljamala at 8.11 p.m., at Datowal at about 8.15 p.m., at Thanthewal at about   8.21   p.m.,   at   Sainimajra   at   about   8.34   p.m.,   at Sarsa Nangal Pubjab at about 9.02 p.m.   Frequent calls were found to have been made on 83603­34095. 15. As   per   the   Cell­ID,   the   presence   of   mobile phone 83603­34095, was found to be at Village Saned, at about 8.11 p.m., at Rajpura, at about 8.21 p.m, at village Majholi, at about 8.26 p.m., at village Sainimajra, from 8.28 p.m. to 8.42 p.m., at Rampur, at about 9.09 p.m. and at Sarsa Nangal Punjab at about 9.54 p.m.  repeated calls were found to have been made on mobile No.86289­63922, from 8.11 p.m. to 8.42 p.m. 16. On   28.03.2025,   accused   Jujhar   Singh   was associated and inquired. As per the revelation made by him,   he   was   arrested   on   8.10   p.m.   and   was   produced 7 2025:HHC:20195 before   the   Court   on   29.03.2025,   from   where,   he   was remanded to police custody. 17. During   police   remand,   on   29.3.2025,   his residential house was searched, but, no illegal weapon was found. However,   during   police   custody,   accused   Jujhar Singh   has   identified   the   shop   of   complainant,   where, according   to   him,   on   23.3.2025,   he,   along   with,   his companion,   Raghveer   Singh   @   Ravi   Baba   (applicant), Charna and two other persons had committed theft. 18. On   30.3.2025,   accused   Jujhar   Singh,   made disclosure statement, under Section 23 of the Bharatiya Sakshaya Adhiniyam, (hereinafter referred to as ‘the BSA’), disclosing   therein   that   on   23.3.2025,   the   motorcycle, which   was   used   to   commit   theft,   in   the   shop   of   the complainant was kept concealed by him and he could get the same recovered and identified the said place. 19. In  pursuance   of   the   said  statement,   accused Jujhar   Singh   got   recovered,   the   motorcycle   bearing registration   No.HP12L­8749,   make   CT­100,   from   the bushes,   where   the   same   had   been   kept   concealed   in Dherowal   road   to   Medical   Device   Park   Road. The 8 2025:HHC:20195 motorcycle was found to be registered in the name of father of   Jujhar   Singh. The   said   motorcycle   was   taken   into possession. 20. Thereafter, during the police remand, accused Jujhar Singh disclosed the names of his companions, as Raghveer   Singh   @   Ravi   Baba   (applicant)   and   Harvinder Singh @ Charna. However, he has not disclosed the names of his other companions. Thereafter, Harvinder Singh @ Charna   was   searched. He   was   associated   in   the investigation and was arrested on 9.5.2025 at about 11.30 p.m.  He has allegedly disclosed the name of the applicant. 21. Thereafter,   Sukhvinder   Singh   @   Kala   was arrested on 11.5.2025. Thereafter, Section 307 of the BNS was deleted and Section 310 of the BNS was added in this case. 22. During police investigation, accused Harvinder Singh   @   Charna   and   Sukhvinder   Singh   @   Kala,   were interrogated   and   Harvinder   Singh   @   Charna   has   made disclosure statement and got recovered the sword, allegedly used by them, for committing crime. 9 2025:HHC:20195 23. On the basis of the above stand of the police, interim   protection   was   given   to   the   applicant   and   the matter was adjourned for 27.5.2025. On that day, the police   filed   the   supplementary   status   report,   disclosing therein that applicant has joined the investigation and as per   the   stand   of   the   police   on   26.5.2025,   applicant Raghveer   Singh   had   produced   the   black   coloured motorcycle   bearing   Registration   No.PB12AB­7900,   make Splender,   along   with   its   key   and   currency   notes   of Rs.6,000/­, which were taken into possession. 24. It is the further case of the police that from the accused persons, one pistol, one country made pistol, one motorcycle and the remaining amount of dacoity, are yet to be recovered. 25. On 3.6.2025, the police filed the supplementary status report, disclosing therein, that following cases have been registered against the applicant:­ i) FIR   No.13/2022,   dated   7.2.2022,   registered under Section 323, 341, 148, 149, 506 IPC with Police Station Kiratpur; ii) FIR   No.54/24,   dated   22.6.2024,   registered under Section 323, 341 IPC & Section 4 of the Punjab   Prevention   of   Dowry   to   Public   and Private Property Act 2014. 10 2025:HHC:20195 26. In   the   status   reports   filed   on   16.6.2025   and 23.6.2025, similar stand has been taken and a prayer has been made to dismiss the application. 27. The applicant has joined the investigation and as   per   the   stand   taken   by   the   Police,   Raghveer   Singh (applicant) and another accused have not yet been arrested and according to their further case, the accused persons are not disclosing anything about the weapon of offence, the motorcycle used and the remaining amount allegedly stolen by them in this case. 28. On   the   basis   of   the   above   vague   stand,   the police   is   not   able   to   make   out   a   case   for   custodial interrogation. 29. The applicant has not been named in the FIR. Neither, it is the specific case of the police that they had identified   the   accused   in   the   CCTV   footage,   nor   the applicant is such a prominent person of the society , who can be identified by the Police, on the basis of the CCTV footage. 30. The veracity of the statement allegedly made by the co­accused of the applicant, namely, Jujhar Singh and 11 2025:HHC:20195 the involvement of the applicant in the crime in question will be adjudged by the learned trial Court during the trial. 31. So   far   as   the   registration   of   two   cases,   as highlighted   in   the   status   report,   are   concerned,   on   the basis   of   those   two   cases,   no   adverse   inference   can   be drawn, as mere registration of the cases, does not take away the presumption of innocence, which is still available to the applicant until proven guilty by the competent Court of law. 32. The bail application cannot be rejected, as a matter   of   punishment,   as,   pre­trial   punishment   is prohibited   under   the   law   and   punishment   can   only   be imposed, after the full fledged trial, by competent Court of law. 33. In   view   of   the   above   discussion,   in   the considered opinion of this Court, the applicant is able to make out a case in his favour. 34. Considering all these facts, the interim  order dated 20.05.2025, passed by this Court, is hereby made absolute. Therefore, it is ordered that the applicant be released on bail, in the event of his arrest, in case  FIR 12 2025:HHC:20195 No.100   of   2025,   dated   24.03.2025,   registered,   under Sections 310(2), 331(4), 61(2) of the BNS, and Section 25 of the Arms Act, with Police Station Nalagarh, District Solan, H.P.,  on   his   furnishing   personal   bond,   in   the   sum   of 5 ₹ 0,000/­,   with  one   surety   of  the   like   amount,   to   the satisfaction of the Investigating Officer. 35. This   order,   however,   shall   be   subject   to   the following conditions :­ a)  That the applicant will join the investigation of the case, as and when, called for, by the Investigating Officer, in accordance with law; b)  That the applicant will not leave India, without prior permission of the Court; c) That the applicant will not, directly or indirectly, make any inducement, threat or promise to any person, acquainted with the facts of the case, so as to dissuade him/her from disclosing such facts to the Investigating Officer or the Court; and d) That the applicant shall regularly attend the trial Court on each and every date of hearing and if prevented by any reason to do so seek exemption from appearance by filing appropriate application. 36. Any   of   the   observations,   made   hereinabove, shall not be taken as an expression of opinion, on the merits of the case, as these observations, are  confined, only, to the disposal of the present application. 13 2025:HHC:20195 37. The applicant is directed to move regular bail application,   when   charge   sheet   will   be   filed   in   the Competent Court of Law. 38. It is made clear that the respondent­State is at liberty to  move an appropriate application, in case, any of the bail conditions, is found violated by the applicant. ( Virender Singh ) Judge June 27, 2025 (ps)