1 ( 2026:HHC:12757 ) IN THE HIGH COURT OF HIMACHAL PRADESH, SHIMLA Cr. MP(M) No. 321 of 2026 Reserved on : 07.04.2026 Decided on : 22.04.2026 ___________________________________________________ Vijay Kumar Juneja ....Petitioner Versus State of H.P. …Respondent ___________________________________________________ Coram Hon’ble Mr. Justice Sushil Kukreja, Judge Whether approved for reporting?1 ________________________________________________ For the petitioner : Mr. Ajay Kochhar, Senior Advocate with Mr. Vivek Sharma, Advocate. For the respondent: Mr. Raj Kumar Negi, Additional Advocate General. ________________________________________________ Sushil Kukreja, Judge By way of the instant petition filed under Section 483 of Bhartiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (hereinafter referred to as “BNSS”), the petitioner is seeking interim bail for a period of four weeks, in case FIR No. 120/2023, dated 24.09.2023, registered at Police Station Palampur, District Kangra, H.P., under Sections 420, 120-B of the Indian Penal Code (for short “IPC”), read with Section 1 Whether reporters of Local Papers may be allowed to see the judgment? . 2 ( 2026:HHC:12757 ) 59 of the Himachal Pradesh Protection of Interests of Depositors (In Financial Establishments) Act, 1999 and Sections 21 & 23 of the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Act, 2019 (for short “the Act”). It has been submitted in the bail application that the petitioner wants to settle and regularize his bank accounts and to comply with statutory tax obligations, including filing of returns, reconciliation of accounts and payment of due taxes, which cannot be effectively undertaken while in custody. It has further been submitted that the petitioner has multiple bank accounts and ongoing financial liabilities requiring his personal presence and authorization before banks and tax authorities and the delay in the same would expose him to severe civil and penal consequences under banking and tax laws. It has also been submitted that the petitioner is a senior citizen having number of age related ailments including the heart ailment and during custody, he was taken to IGMC, Shimla when he had faced problem in breathing as well as symptoms related to his heart ailment. 3 ( 2026:HHC:12757 ) 2. In the status report filed by the prosecution, the prayer made by the petitioner for interim bail has been strongly opposed on the ground that plea of the petitioner to seek interim bail for a period of four weeks, purportedly to enable him to settle and regulate his bank accounts and to attend tax related matters, is wholly misconceived, untenable and devoid of merit. It has also been submitted that the petitioner is being provided regular and adequate medical treatment as per requirement and the instant application is a desperate attempt to circumvent the consistent judicial findings by relying upon the alleged medical documents, especially in absence of any certification from a duly constituted Medical Board or a competent government hospital, indicating any serious or life threatening medical condition, as such, the present bail application deserves outright rejection being devoid of merit and filed with malafide intention to abuse the process of law. 3. I have heard learned Senior Counsel for the petitioner as well as learned Additional Advocate General and also gone through the material available on record. 4 ( 2026:HHC:12757 ) 4. The petitioner is seeking interim bail firstly on the ground that he wants to settle and regularize his bank accounts and to comply with statutory tax obligations, including filing of returns, reconciliation of accounts and payment of due taxes, which cannot be effectively undertaken while in custody. The second ground taken in the bail application is that the petitioner wants to get himself medically checked up, as being senior citizen, he is having number of age related ailments including the heart ailment and during custody, he was taken to IGMC, Shimla when he had faced problem in breathing as well as symptoms related to his heart ailment. 5. Hence, without going into the merits of the case, in the above backdrop, I am of the view that the petitioner should be granted interim bail for a period of four weeks. Therefore, the petitioner, who is presently lodged at District Jail, Kaithu, Shimla, H.P., is ordered to be released on interim bail for a period of four weeks under police escort, the number of which shall be fixed by the learned Trial Court, subject to his furnishing personal bond in the sum of Rs. 5 ( 2026:HHC:12757 ) 2,00,000/- with two local sureties of District Shimla (each) to the satisfaction of the trial court. The expenses of the police escort shall be borne by the petitioner himself. He shall continue to remain under police escort w.e.f. 23rd April, 2026 to 21st May, 2026 and after the expiry of the said period, i.e. on 22nd May, 2026, the police escort will bring him back to District Jail, Kaithu, Shimla, H.P., as per Jail Manual. 6. It is clarified that the interim bail is being granted in the peculiar facts and circumstances of the case and will have no bearing on the merits of the case. The petition is, accordingly, disposed of. ( Sushil Kukreja ) April 22, 2026 Judge (raman) RAMAN THAKUR Digitally signed by RAMAN THAKUR Date: 2026.04.22 15:15:31 +0530