Neutral Citation No. - 2025:AHC-LKO:20397 Court No. - 13 Case :- CRIMINAL MISC. BAIL APPLICATION No. - 9179 of 2024 Applicant :- Sarju Prasad Opposite Party :- State Of U.P. Thru. Addl. Chief Secy. Home Lko Counsel for Applicant :- Devashish Bhatt,D.K. Singh Chauhan,Munish Kumar Chandra 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 F.I.R. No. 206 of 2024 under Section 3, 5(1), U.P. Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021, P..S. Cantt, District Ayodhya. 3. As per contents of FIR, incident is said to have taken place on 23rd June, 2024 with allegation that applicant was instrumental in attempting to convert persons to his religion on the basis of allurement. 4. It has been submitted by learned counsel for applicant that he has been falsely implicated in the charges levelled against him. It is submitted that only general allegations of allurement has been indicated in the F.I.R. without any specific assertions with regard to same which therefore would not come within provision of Section 3 of Act of 2021. It is submitted that applicant is under incarceration since 2nd July, 2024 with only charge sheet having been filed. It is submitted that applicant does not have any previous criminal history. 5. Learned A.G.A. has opposed bail application with submission that allegation as levelled against the applicant clearly make out against him with regard to sections imputed. It is however admitted that applicant does not have any previous criminal history. 6. 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 general allegations of attempting to convert on the basis of religious lines has been levelled against the applicant without any specific allegations with regard to such allurment. The applicant is under incarceration since 2nd July, with only charge sheet having been filed on 21st August, 2024. It is also admitted that applicant does not have any previous criminal history. 7. 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." 8. 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. 9. Accordingly bail application is allowed. 10. Let applicant Sarju Prasad 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 :- 10.4.2025 prabhat Digitally signed by :- PRABHAT KUMAR High Court of Judicature at Allahabad, Lucknow Bench