225 IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH CRM-M-20651-2025 Date of Decision:19.08.2025 Satnam Singh @ Harjot Singh @ Jota …Petitioner Vs. State of Punjab …Respondent Coram : Hon’ble Mr. Justice N.S.Shekhawat Present : Mr. Ritesh Pandey, Advocate for the petitioner. Mr. M.S. Bajwa, DAG, Punjab. Mr. B.B.S Randhawa, Advocate for the complainant. *** N.S.Shekhawat J. (Oral) 1. The petitioner has filed the present petition under Section 483 of B.N.S.S with a prayer to grant regular bail to him in case FIR No. 161, dated 21.11.2024, registered under Sections 108,3(5) of B.N.S, Police Station Dera Baba Nanak, District Batala (Annexure P-1). 2. The FIR in the present case was registered on the basis of the statement made by Jagjit Kaur wife of Sakattar Singh and the same has been reproduced below:- “Statement of Jagjit Kaur wife of Sakattar Singh resident of Gurchak PS Dera Baba Nanak aged about 44 years, stated that I am resident of above mentioned address and doing household work, we were five brothers and sisters, one of my brother Kulwinder Singh has expired about 2 years back, my marriage had taken place about 29 years back, yesterday on HITESH 2025.08.20 10:56 I attest to the accuracy and authenticity of this document/judgment High Court, Chandigarh CRM-M-20651-2025 -2 20.11.2024 I had come to my parental village Shahpur Jajjan to my brother Balwinder Singh son of Makhan Singh and other brother Rajwinder Singh whose age was about 35 years who was residing separately in his house and due to accident his knee was broken and he was walking with the help of walker, my brother Rajwinder Singh was married about 7 years back with Saranjit Kaur (wrongly written as Sharanjit Singh) daughter of Sawinder Singh resident of Shahpur Sardara and one child was born to her whose aged is about 5 years. My brother had about 2 1½ acre of land and her wife Sharanjit kaur got entire land sold and after selling the land got an FD of Rs 8 lacs in her name in the bank now the wife of my brother namely Sharanjit kaur harassed my brother a lot and used to put pressure upon him to get the house and shop in her name, my brother was not agreed for the same and told that where he would go but about 2 months back my sister in law had run away with Harjot Singh alias Jota son of Sukhwant Singh resident of Shahpur Jajjan and who has also taken away her 5 years old son Gursewak Singh and now she is residing in the village with Harjot Singh alias Jota My sister in law wants divorce from my brother but my brother did not give the divorce and she was residing withHarjot Singh alias Jota without getting the divorce. Today at about 11 AM I called my brother Rajwinder Singh at his door from the house of my brother Balwinder Singh and asked Rajwinder Singh today he had not come for food, due to the door was locked it could not open and no voice had come from inside then I called my sister in law Harjit Kaur wife of Balwinder Singh from her house and entered in the room after broke open the door then saw that my brother Rajwinder Singh was hanging from the fen along with rope which was in his neck and adjacent to that walker and broken chair was lying then I cut the rope and put my brother down by that time my brother Rajwinder Singh was expired, one key of main door was lying with my sister in law and other key was lying with my brother Rajwinder Singh, I have full suspicion that my brother had been killed by her wife Sharanit HITESH 2025.08.20 10:56 I attest to the accuracy and authenticity of this document/judgment High Court, Chandigarh CRM-M-20651-2025 -3 kaur and Harjot Singh alias jota by hanging, me and my sister in law Harjit Kaur were coming to police station for given the information you met us action be taken, statement heard which is correct sd Jagjit kaur sd Jarjit kaur attested sd Raghubir Singh SI PS Dera Baba Nanak dt 21.11.2024.” 3. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the marriage of co- accused Sharanjit Kaur was solemnized with Rajwinder Singh (since deceased) about seven years ago and a male child was born out of the said wedlock. Rajwinder Singh was a drug addict and two FIRs were lodged against him. Due to this bad habits, Sharanjit Kuar left the matrimonial home and at her back, Rajwinder Singh had committed suicide. He next contends that the only allegations levelled against the petitioner is that after leaving matrimonial home, Sharanjit Kaur started living with the present petitioner and both of them were harassing the deceased. He further contends that the petitioner had not instigated or abetted the suicide of Rajwinder Singh in any manner and the provisions of Section 108 of B.N.S have been wrongly invoked in the present case. The petitioner was arrested in the present case on 15.12.2024 and is in custody for the last more than eight months. He further contends that charge has been framed against the petitioner on 08.04.2025, but no witness has been examined so far. 4. On the other hand, learned State counsel assisted by learned counsel for the complainant have vehemently opposed the submissions made by learned counsel for the petitioner on the ground that the petitioner is the main accused, who was staying in the same village with Sharanjit Kaur and had been harassing Rajwinder Singh, since deceased. Thus, the present petition deserves to be dismissed by this Court. HITESH 2025.08.20 10:56 I attest to the accuracy and authenticity of this document/judgment High Court, Chandigarh CRM-M-20651-2025 -4 5. I have heard the learned counsel for the parties and perused the record carefully. 6. In the present case, the petitioner is stated to be in custody for the last more than eight months and the prosecution is yet to lead evidence to show that the petitioner had instigated Rajwinder Singh to commit suicide. Moreover, the prosecution has not been able to examine even a single witness so far and there is no material on record to show that the petitioner is in a position to tamper with the prosecution evidence. 7. Without commenting on the merits of the case, the present petition is allowed. The petitioner is ordered to be released on bail pending trial on his furnishing bail bonds and surety to the satisfaction of the concerned trial Court/ Duty Magistrate/Chief Judicial Magistrate. (N.S.SHEKHAWAT) 19.08.2025 JUDGE hitesh Whether speaking/reasoned : Yes/No Whether reportable : Yes/No HITESH 2025.08.20 10:56 I attest to the accuracy and authenticity of this document/judgment High Court, Chandigarh