CRM-M No.34136 of 2026 -1- IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH 252 ***** CRM-M No.34136 of 2026 Date of decision : 9.7.2026 Date of uploading : 10.7.2026 Dinesh Kumar ………….Petitioner Versus State of Haryana …….Respondent CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SUMEET GOEL Present: Mr. Abhinav, Advocate, for the petitioner Mr. Deepak Grewal, DAG, Haryana --- SUMEET GOEL, J. (ORAL) 1. Present petition has been filed under Section 483 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (for short ‘BNSS’) for grant of regular bail to the petitioner in case FIR No.177 dated 10.5.2025 under Sections 420, 467, 468, 471, 120-B and 201 of IPC, Sections 12(1)(B) and 12(2) of Passport Act, 1967 and Sections 7 and 13 of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, registered at Police Station Sadar, Gohana, District Sonipat. 2. The gravamen of the FIR in question is that Amit s/o Joginder r/o Bhainswal Kalan, District Sonipat, has obtained passport no. Y3150198 by claiming himself to be Ankit s/o Deepak son of Kamla r/o Ground Floor, H.No. 43, village Dallupura, Mayur Vihar, Phase-III, East Delhi; and the petitioner has done his verification to be Ankit s/o Deepak ASHWANI KUMAR 2026.07.10 12:58 I attest to the accuracy and integrity of this document CRM-M No.34136 of 2026 -2- son of Kamla r/o Ground Floor, H.No. 43, village Dallupura, Mayur Vihar, Phase-III, East Delhi. 3. Learned counsel for the petitioner has argued that the petitioner is in custody since 4.4.2026. Learned counsel has further argued that the petitioner has been falsely implicated into the FIR in question. Learned counsel has further submitted that the petitioner is merely a typist/ Photostat-shop entrepreneur. Learned counsel has further submitted that, in any case, upon culmination of investigation, challan already stands presented and completion of trial will take long. Learned counsel has further argued that the petitioner is a man aged 37 years and sole bread earner of his family. Learned counsel has further submitted that the petitioner is a man with clean antecedents. Thus, regular bail is prayed for. 4. Learned State counsel has filed status report by way of affidavit of Devender Singh, HPS, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mohana, District Sonipat, in Court today. The same be kept on record. Copy thereof has been furnished to learned counsel for the petitioner. Raising submissions in tandem with the said status report, learned State counsel has drawn the attention of this Court to paragraphs no.24 and 25, which read thus: ‘24. That during the course of investigation on 26.03.2026, during the investigation of the present case, Shruti Sharma daughter of Pradeep Kumar Sharma, resident of House No. 184, Gali No. 7, Nand Colony-2, Pehowa, Kurukshetra, was joined in the investigation and her statement was recorded. She stated that her passport had been arranged by petitiner/accused Dinesh Kumar son of Bhag Singh, resident of village ASHWANI KUMAR 2026.07.10 12:58 I attest to the accuracy and integrity of this document CRM-M No.34136 of 2026 -3- Murtazapur, Pehowa, Kurukshetra, after taking Rs.2,00,000. These Rs.2,00,000 were transferred by Shruti Sharma into the bank account of Dinesh Kumar through Google Pay, Shruti Sharma daughter of Pardeep Sharma, resident of House No. 184, Gali No. 7, Nand Colony-2, Pehowa, Kurukshetra, produced before PSI, photocopies of her Passport No. X8457517, File No. DD6078195924023, the photocopy of her Secondary Examination Marksheet issued by the National Institute of Open Schooling. bearing Serial No. J/21 44213 and issued on 07.10.2021, the photocopy of her Aadhaar Card No. 8844 9016 2992, and the photocopy of her PAN Card No. PHCPS5089H, after signing them. The same were taken into police possession as evidence vide seizure memo. The presenter signed the seizure memo. 25. That during the course of investigation a letter was written to obtain the bank statement of Shruti Sharma's HDFC Bank Account No. 50100619846075 for the period from 29.05.2023 to 05.07.2023, and the same was emailed from the official email ID of STF Unit Sonipat (stfunitspt.pol@hry.gov.in) to the official email ID of HDFC Bank employee Lovedeep Bhargav at HDFC Bank, Pehowa (lovedeep.bhargav@hdfcbank.com) Branch.In response, an email was received from the above-mentioned HDFC Bank email ID. A printout of the email and the attached PDF file titled "PDF SS.pdf (bank statement) was taken, and a total of 11 pages were taken into police possession as evidence vide seizure memo. Upon examination of the bank statement, it was found that Shruti Sharma had transferred money from this bank account to petitioner/accused DINESH KUMAR TYPIST through Gpay. The copy of Bank statement of victim Shruti is annexed as Annexure R1.’ Learned State counsel, thus, iterated that the petitioner does not deserve the concession of the regular bail at this stage. Learned State counsel seeks to place on record custody certificate dated 7.7.2026 in Court, which is taken on record. 5. I have heard counsel for the parties and have gone through the available records of the case. 6. The petitioner was arrested on 4.4.2026 wherein after ASHWANI KUMAR 2026.07.10 12:58 I attest to the accuracy and integrity of this document CRM-M No.34136 of 2026 -4- investigation was carried out; challan was prepared on 4.5.2025 and subsequently filed. Total 36 prosecution witnesses have been cited and it is conceded case before this Court that none has been examined till date. Culmination of the trial will indubitably take long. The rival contentions raised by learned counsel give rise to debatable issues which shall be ratiocinated upon during the course of trial. This Court does not deem it appropriate to delve deep into these rival contentions, at this stage, lest it may prejudice the trial. Nothing tangible has been brought forward to indicate the likelihood of the petitioner absconding from the process of justice or interfering with the prosecution evidence. 6.1 As per custody certificate dated 7.7.2026 filed by learned State counsel, the petitioner has already suffered incarceration for a period of 3 months and 4 days & is not shown to be involved in any other case. Suffice to say, further detention of the petitioner as an undertrial is not warranted in the facts and circumstances of the case. 7. In view of above, the present petition is allowed. Petitioner is ordered to be released on regular bail on his furnishing bail/surety bonds to the satisfaction of the Ld. concerned CJM/Duty Magistrate. However, in addition to conditions that may be imposed by the concerned CJM/Duty Magistrate, the petitioner shall remain bound by the following conditions:- (i) The petitioner shall not mis-use the liberty granted. (ii) The petitioner shall not tamper with any evidence, oral or documentary, during the trial. (iii) The petitioner shall not absent himself on any date before the trial. (iv) The petitioner shall not commit any offence while on bail. ASHWANI KUMAR 2026.07.10 12:58 I attest to the accuracy and integrity of this document CRM-M No.34136 of 2026 -5- (v) The petitioner shall deposit his passport, if any, with the trial Court. (vi) The petitioner shall give his cell-phone number to the Investigating Officer/SHO of concerned Police Station and shall not change his cell-phone number without prior permission of the trial Court/Illaqa Magistrate. (vii) The petitioner shall not in any manner try to delay the trial. 8. In case of breach of any of the aforesaid conditions and those which may be imposed by concerned CJM/Duty Magistrate as directed hereinabove or upon showing any other sufficient cause, the State/complainant shall be at liberty to move cancellation of bail of the petitioner. 9. Ordered accordingly. 10. Nothing said hereinabove shall be construed as an expression of opinion on the merits of the case. (SUMEET GOEL) JUDGE 9.7.2026 Ashwanii Whether speaking/reasoned: Yes/No Whether reportable: Yes/No ASHWANI KUMAR 2026.07.10 12:58 I attest to the accuracy and integrity of this document