IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH (102) CRM-M-44494- 2026 (O&M) Date of Decision: 26.08.2026 Jaspreet Singh …Petitioner VS State of Punjab …Respondent CORAM : HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE VIKRAM AGGARWAL Present: Mr. Manik Makkar, Advocate for the petitioner. Mr. Ravinder Singh, D.A.G. Punjab. Mr. Ravinder Singh Maur, Advocate for the complainant. **** VIKRAM AGGARWAL, J (ORAL) Prayer in the present petition filed under Section 482 of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, is for the grant of anticipatory bail in case FIR No.0132 dated 25.07.2026 (Annexure P-1), registered under Section 318(4) of BNS, 2023, at Police Station City Sangrur, District Sangrur. 2. Short affidavit of Sh. Dalbir Singh, PPS, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Sub- Division, Sangrur, filed in Court today on behalf of respondent No.1 is taken on record. Registry is directed to tag the same at an appropriate place in the case file. 3. On a complaint submitted by one Bhagoti Singh, the FIR in question was registered, the contents of which (as given in Annexure P-1) is as under:- “Sir, it is stated that, I, Army Retired Bhagoti Singh son of Sita Singh resident of Boha Tehsil Budhlada District Mansa. DALBIR SINGH 2026.08.28 11.37 I attest to the accuracy and integrity of this document CRM-M-44494- 2026 (O&M) -2- That on 26.6.2020, I gave an order of gold set of 3 tola 6 grams 44Mili Gram. He had made this set on26,8.2020. He deliberately damaged this gold set. When we asked him to fix the set on 10.08.2024, he promised to make it on 5/9/2025, but he did not make this set. Then he promised to make it on 01/10/2025, all the receipts of which are available with us, which I can present to you on the spot. That the photo of this gold set is available in my camera, which I can present on the spot. That the price of the said gold set is more than 4 lakh 50 thousand This Jyoti Jewellers Mandi Gali Sangrur is not returning my gold set and is making so many excuses and creating a fuss every day, due to which I am very upset. That He is openly threatening to kill me and openly saying that I wanted to cheat you, I have done it, do whatever you want, I will not return your gold set. This is a person with a wicked mind, he can cause an unpleasant incident at any time, we are peace-loving people and do not want any kind of fight or quarrel. It is my request to you that my gold set should be returned from the owner of Jyoti Jewellers Mandi Street Sangrur. My life and property should be protected. I should be saved from being harassed, if there is any loss of life or property to me in the future, then the entire responsibility will be of the said person. Please give me justice. I will be very grateful to you. Date: 09/06/2026 Your trusted person, SD/- Army Retired Bhagoti Singh.” 4. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the petitioner has been falsely implicated. He submits that the gold set was made in 2020 and the complainant realized in 2024 that it was not of 22 karats and was instead of 18 karats. He submits that all allegations are false and that even otherwise the petitioner is willing to settle the matter but the complainant is demanding more money than required. He submits that the petitioner is DALBIR SINGH 2026.08.28 11.37 I attest to the accuracy and integrity of this document CRM-M-44494- 2026 (O&M) -3- willing to join investigation and abide by any condition imposed by the Court. 5. Per contra, learned counsel representing the State of Punjab and learned counsel for the complainant have opposed the bail application stating that the petitioner is a habitual offender with four other cases of similar nature pending against him. It has been submitted that when the FIR was registered, the petitioner undertook to settle the matter but thereafter backed out and that he kept the earlier set also and instead of repairing it and making it of proper quality, he did not return even the original set. It has been submitted that under the circumstances, no occasion arises to grant anticipatory bail to the petitioner. 6. I have considered the submissions made by learned counsel for the parties. 7. As per the status report, the petitioner has been found to be regularly indulging in cheating customers in his course of business as a goldsmith. It has also come on record that four other FIRs stand registered against the petitioner with similar allegations and he is facing trial in three of them, though the 4th FIR was quashed. When the complainant found out that the gold set purchased by him from the petitioner was of 18 karats instead of 22 karats as had been projected, he confronted the petitioner and the petitioner kept the gold set stating that he would replace it with a new set and in fact a written undertaking dated 08.09.2025 was also given in this regard. He, however, did not replace the earlier set. 8. Keeping in view the nature of the allegations and the modus operandi of the petitioner coupled with his antecedents, this Court does not DALBIR SINGH 2026.08.28 11.37 I attest to the accuracy and integrity of this document CRM-M-44494- 2026 (O&M) -4- find the present case to be one where the concession of anticipatory bail should be extended. 9. In the considered opinion of this Court, custodial interrogation would be imperative to elicit the truth. That being so, the petition is found to be devoid of merit and is accordingly dismissed. However, nothing stated herein above shall be construed to be an opinion on the merits of the case. (VIKRAM AGGARWAL) JUDGE August 26, 2026 Rekha Whether speaking/reasoned : Yes/No Whether reportable : Yes/No DALBIR SINGH 2026.08.28 11.37 I attest to the accuracy and integrity of this document