2025:HHC:29406 IN THE HIGH COURT OF HIMACHAL PRADESH, SHIMLA Cr.MP(M) No. :     1691 of 2025 Reserved on :     14 th   August, 2025 Decided on :     30 th   August, 2025 Ravinder Singh @ Ravi …Applicant Versus State of Himachal Pradesh …Respondent Coram The Hon’ble Mr. Justice Virender Singh, Judge. Whether approved for reporting?1 For the applicant   : Applicant   in   person   with   Mr. K.S. Gill, Advocate. For the respondent   : Mr. H.S.   Rawat   &   Mr. Varun Chandel,   Additional   Advocates General,   assisted   by   ASI   Mahesh Kumar, I.O. Police Station, Nalagarh, Police District Baddi. Virender Singh, Judge Applicant Ravinder Singh @ Ravi, 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:29406 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 application. 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:29406 6. 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. 7. Apart from the above, the relief of bail has also been sought on the ground of parity, as, his co­accused Raghveer Singh, has already been released on bail, by this Court, vide order dated 27.06.2025, passed in Cr.MP(M) No.1172 of 2025. 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 4 2025:HHC:29406 complaint before the police, disclosing therein, that he is 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 faces, 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 5 2025:HHC:29406 4 persons, were there on the motorcycles, who had muffled 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, 6 2025:HHC:29406 the mobile phone No.86289­63922 and 83603­34095, were 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 Punjab, 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:29406 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, 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:29406 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   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. 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. He   has  allegedly disclosed the name of the applicant, as the person, who is involved in the commission of crime. 9 2025:HHC:29406 23. On the basis of the above stand of the police, interim   protection   was   given   to   the   applicant   and   the matter was adjourned for 24.07.2025. On that day, the police   filed   the   supplementary   status   report,   disclosing therein that applicant has joined the investigation. 24. As   per   the   further   stand   of   the   police,   on 26.5.2025,   accused   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. 25. 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. 26. It has also been mentioned in the status report that   the   perusal   of   the   CDR   of   mobile   number   of   the applicant Ravinder Singh @ Ravi, accused Juhjhar Singh @ Billu   and   accused   Raghveer   Singh,   reveals   that   their location was near Sarsa Nangal Punjab. 10 2025:HHC:29406 27. It has also been mentioned in the status report that except the present case no other case is found to have been registered against the applicant. 28. In   the   status   reports   filed   on   31.07.2025, 07.08.2025 and 14.08.2025, similar stand has been taken and a prayer has been made to dismiss the application. 29. The applicant has joined the investigation and as per the stand taken by the Police, 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. 30. On   the   basis   of   the   above   vague   stand,   the police   is   not   able   to   make   out   a   case   for   custodial interrogation. 31. 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. 11 2025:HHC:29406 32. The veracity of the statement allegedly made by the co­accused of the applicant, namely, Jujhar Singh and the involvement of the applicant in the crime in question will be adjudged by the learned trial Court during the trial. 33. 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. 34. Moreover,   on   the   ground   of   parity   also,   the applicant  is  entitled  to  be  released   on  bail,  as,   his   co­ accused Raghveer Singh has already been released on bail, by   this   Court,   vide   order   dated   27.06.2025,   passed   in Cr.MP(M) No.1172 of 2025 and the role attributed to the applicant   is   similar   to   that   of   his   co­accused   Raghveer Singh. 35. 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. 36. Considering all these facts, the interim  order dated 16.07.2025, passed by this Court, is hereby made 12 2025:HHC:29406 absolute. Therefore, it is ordered that the applicant be released on bail, in the event of his arrest, in case  FIR 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. 37. 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. 38. Any   of   the   observations,   made   hereinabove, shall not be taken as an expression of opinion, on the 13 2025:HHC:29406 merits of the case, as these observations, are  confined, only, to the disposal of the present application. 39. 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 August 30, 2025 (ps)