B.A.No. 3653 of 2025 1 2025:KER:28613 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM PRESENT THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE P.V.KUNHIKRISHNAN THURSDAY, THE 3RD DAY OF APRIL 2025 / 13TH CHAITHRA, 1947 BAIL APPL. NO. 3653 OF 2025 CRIME NO.149/2025 OF ENATH POLICE STATION, PATHANAMTHITTA PETITIONER(S)/ACCUSED NO.2: ABDULLA SHARAFUDHEEN AGED 39 YEARS S/O. T.B.ABDULLA, 37/405, ALAKAPARAMBU LANE, AIIMS, PONEKKARA, ERNAKULAM, PIN - 682041 BY ADVS. K.S.SREERAJ J.RAMKUMAR RESPONDENT(S)/STATE: 1 STATE OF KERALA REPRESENTED BY PUBLIC PROSECUTOR,HIGH COURT OF KERALA, PIN - 682031 2 STATION HOUSE OFFICER ENATHU POLICE STATION, ENATHU, PATHANAMTHITTA DISTRICT, PIN - 691526 BY ADV. SR PP – SRI.HRITHWIK C S THIS BAIL APPLICATION HAVING COME UP FOR ADMISSION ON 03.04.2025, THE COURT ON THE SAME DAY DELIVERED THE FOLLOWING: B.A.No. 3653 of 2025 2 2025:KER:28613 P.V.KUNHIKRISHNAN, J -------------------------------- B.A.No. 3653 of 2025 ------------------------------- Dated this the 03rd day of April, 2025 O R D E R This Bail Application is filed under Section 482 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita. 2. Petitioner is the 2nd accused in Crime No.149/2025 of Enathu Police Station, Pathanamthitta. The above case is registered against the petitioner and others alleging offences punishable under Sections 420 r/w 34 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860. 3. The prosecution case is that the 1st accused with an intention to cheat the defacto complainant, advised him to transfer an amount of Rs.50,000/- to the account of the petitioner and Rs.2,57,000/- to the account of the 1st accused so as to secure a loan from Omkar Finance, Thrissur. Accordingly, the amount was transferred. But the loan was not obtained by B.A.No. 3653 of 2025 3 2025:KER:28613 the defacto complainant and the amount paid to the accused was also not returned. Hence it is alleged that the accused committed the above said offences. 4. Heard the learned counsel appearing for the petitioner and the learned Public Prosecutor. 5. Counsel for the petitioner submitted that the petitioner has no connection with the defacto complainant. Even as per the prosecution case, the understanding is between the 1st accused and the defacto complainant, and more amount is deposited in the account of the 1st accused. The 1st accused is already arrested and released on bail. 6. The Public Prosecutor opposed the bail application. But, the Public Prosecutor submitted that, no criminal antecedents are alleged against the petitioner as per the report received by him. 7. This Court considered the contentions of the petitioner and the Public Prosecutor. Considering the facts and circumstances of the case, I think the custodial interrogation of the petitioner is not necessary. Serious allegation is there against B.A.No. 3653 of 2025 4 2025:KER:28613 the 1st accused. The 1st accused is already arrested and released on bail. In such circumstances, I think this bail application can be allowed on stringent conditions. 8. Moreover, it is a well accepted principle that the bail is the rule and the jail is the exception. The Hon'ble Supreme Court in Chidambaram. P v Directorate of Enforcement [2019 (16) SCALE 870], after considering all the earlier judgments, observed that, the basic jurisprudence relating to bail remains the same inasmuch as the grant of bail is the rule and refusal is the exception so as to ensure that the accused has the opportunity of securing fair trial. 9. Recently the Apex Court in Siddharth v State of Uttar Pradesh and Another [2021(5)KHC 353] considered the point in detail. The relevant paragraph of the above judgment is extracted hereunder: “12. We may note that personal liberty is an important aspect of our constitutional mandate. The occasion to arrest an accused during investigation arises when custodial investigation becomes necessary or it is a heinous B.A.No. 3653 of 2025 5 2025:KER:28613 crime or where there is a possibility of influencing the witnesses or accused may abscond. Merely because an arrest can be made because it is lawful does not mandate that arrest must be made. A distinction must be made between the existence of the power to arrest and the justification for exercise of it. (Joginder Kumar v. State of UP and Others (1994 KHC 189: (1994) 4 SCC 260: 1994 (1) KLT 919: 1994 (2) KLJ 97: AIR 1994 SC 1349: 1994 CriLJ 1981)) If arrest is made routine, it can cause incalculable harm to the reputation and self-esteem of a person. If the Investigating Officer has no reason to believe that the accused will abscond or disobey summons and has, in fact, throughout cooperated with the investigation we fail to appreciate why there should be a compulsion on the officer to arrest the accused.” 10. In Manish Sisodia v. Central Bureau of Investigation [2023 KHC 6961], the Apex Court observed that even if the allegation is one of grave economic offence, it is not a rule that bail should be denied in every case. 11. Considering the dictum laid down in the above B.A.No. 3653 of 2025 6 2025:KER:28613 decision and considering the facts and circumstances of this case, this Bail Application is allowed with the following directions: 1. The petitioner shall appear before the Investigating Officer within two weeks from today and shall undergo interrogation. 2. After interrogation, if the Investigating Officer propose to arrest the petitioner, he shall be released on bail on executing a bond for a sum of Rs.50,000/- (Rupees Fifty Thousand only) with two solvent sureties each for the like sum to the satisfaction of the arresting officer concerned. 3. The petitioner shall appear before the Investigating Officer for interrogation as and when required. The petitioner shall co-operate with the investigation and shall not, directly or indirectly make any inducement, threat or B.A.No. 3653 of 2025 7 2025:KER:28613 promise to any person acquainted with the facts of the case so as to dissuade him from disclosing such facts to the Court or to any police officer. 4. Petitioner shall not leave India without permission of the jurisdictional Court. 5. Petitioner shall not commit an offence similar to the offence of which he is accused, or suspected, of the commission of which he is suspected. 6. Needless to mention, it would be well within the powers of the investigating officer to investigate the matter and, if necessary, to effect recoveries on the information, if any, given by the petitioner even while the petitioner is on bail as laid down by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in Sushila Aggarwal v. State (NCT of Delhi) B.A.No. 3653 of 2025 8 2025:KER:28613 and another [2020 (1) KHC 663]. 7. The observations and findings in this order is only for the purpose of deciding this bail application. The principle laid down by this Court in Anzar Azeez v. State of Kerala [2025 SCC OnLine KER 1260] is applicable in this case also. 8. If any of the above conditions are violated by the petitioner, the jurisdictional Court can cancel the bail in accordance to law, even though the bail is granted by this Court. The prosecution and the victim are at liberty to approach the jurisdictional Court to cancel the bail, if any of the above conditions are violated. Sd/- P.V.KUNHIKRISHNAN, JUDGE DM