Extracted from the PDF above. The PDF is authoritative.
HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT ALLAHABAD CRIMINAL MISC. BAIL APPLICATION No. - 32584 of 2025 Court No. - 67 HON'BLE KRISHAN PAHAL, J.
1. List has been revised.
2. Heard Sri Vijay Kumar Tiwari, Advocate holding brief of Sri Ved Prakash Mishra, learned counsel for the applicant, Sri Deepak Kumar Singh, learned A.G.A. for the State and perused the material placed on record.
3. Applicant seeks bail in Case Crime No.544 of 2025, under Sections 103(1), 3(5), 238 B.N.S. and 3/25/27 Arms Act, Police Station Majhola, District Moradabad, during the pendency of trial.
4. Learned counsel for the applicant has argued that the applicant is not named in the FIR and has been falsely implicated in the present case. His name has come up in the statements of the arrested co-accused persons, namely, Mohit, Aman and Anuj Thakur, and subsequently the informant and the mother of the deceased have also nominated the applicant to be the perpetrator of crime.
5. Learned counsel for the applicant has further argued that the FIR itself is delayed by about twelve hours and there is no explanation of the said delay caused. There is no criminal history of the applicant. The applicant is languishing in jail since 14.06.2025 and he is ready to cooperate with trial. In case, the applicant is released on bail, he will not misuse the liberty of bail.
6. Learned A.G.A. has vehemently opposed the bail application but the Versus Counsel for Applicant(s) : Ved Prakash Mishra Counsel for Opposite Party(s) : G.A. Chetan Gupta .....Applicant(s) State of U.P. .....Opposite Party(s)
submissions raised by the learned counsel for the applicant could not be disputed.
7. The well-known principle of "Presumption of Innocence Unless Proven Guilty," gives rise to the concept of bail as a rule and imprisonment as an exception.
8. A person's right to life and liberty, guaranteed by Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, cannot be taken away simply because the person is accused of committing an offence until the guilt is established beyond a reasonable doubt. Article 21 of the Indian Constitution states that no one's life or personal liberty may be taken away unless the procedure established by law is followed, and the procedure must be just and reasonable. The said principle has been recapitulated by the Supreme Court in Satender Kumar Antil Vs. Central Bureau of Investigation and Ors., 2022 INSC 690.
9. Reiterating the aforesaid view the Supreme Court in the case of Manish Sisodia Vs. Directorate of Enforcement 2024 INSC 595 has again emphasised that the very well-settled principle of law that bail is not to be withheld as a punishment is not to be forgotten. It is high time that the Courts should recognize the principle that “bail is a rule and jail is an exception”.
10. Learned A.G.A./State Law Officer could not bring forth any exceptional circumstances which would warrant denial of bail to the applicant.
11. It is settled principle of law that the object of bail is to secure the attendance of the accused at the trial. No material particulars or circumstances suggestive of the applicant fleeing from justice or thwarting the course of justice or creating other troubles in the shape of repeating offences or intimidating witnesses and the like have been shown by learned A.G.A./State Law Officer.
12. Considering the facts and circumstances of the case, submissions made by learned counsel for the parties, the evidence on record, taking into
consideration the delay in institution of FIR and the fact that the applicant is not named in the FIR and he has subsequently been nominated by the the informant and the mother of deceased person, and without expressing any BAIL No. 32584 of 2025 2
opinion on the merits of the case, prima-facie the Court is of the view that the applicant has made out a case for bail. The bail application is allowed.
13. Let the applicant- Chetan Gupta, who is involved in aforementioned 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 subject to following conditions. Further, before issuing the release order, the sureties be verified. (i) The applicant shall not tamper with evidence during trial. (ii) The applicant shall not pressurise/intimidate with the prosecution witnesses. (iii) The applicant shall appear before the trial court on the date fixed.
14. In case of breach of any of the above conditions, it shall be a ground for cancellation of bail.
15. It is made clear that observations made in granting bail to the applicant shall not in any way affect the learned trial Judge in forming his independent opinion based on the testimony of the witnesses. October 13, 2025 (Ravi Kant) BAIL No. 32584 of 2025 3 (Krishan Pahal,J.) Digitally signed by :- RAVI KANT High Court of Judicature at Allahabad