HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT ALLAHABAD CRIMINAL MISC. BAIL APPLICATION No. - 31586 of 2026 Court No. - 70 HON'BLE JAI PRAKASH TIWARI, J. Heard learned counsel for the applicant, Sri Santosh Kumar Singh Paliwal, learned counsel for the informant, learned AGA for the State and perused the record. The instant application has been filed seeking release of the applicant on bail in Case Crime No. 82 of 2026, under Sections 316(5), 61(2) B.N.S. 2023, Police Station Aron, District Firozabad, during the pendency of trial. It is argued by learned counsel for the applicant that the applicant has been falsely implicated in the present case due to ulterior motive and has no concern whatsoever with the alleged offence. As per the prosecution version contained in the FIR, the informant, who is the Chief Manager of the Bank of India, was informed by the Branch Manager that one of the officers, namely, Dilip Kumar, was not attending the branch and was in possession of the keys of the safe, due to which the normal functioning of the branch was being adversely affected. Thereafter, during the course of investigation, the safe was opened under CCTV surveillance with the help of a duplicate key, whereupon it was allegedly found that 96 packets of gold ornaments, which had been deposited by the customers, were missing. Learned counsel submits that the FIR was lodged against three named accused persons, whereas the applicant was admittedly not named therein. The name of the applicant subsequently surfaced during the course of investigation on the basis of the alleged confessional statement Versus Counsel for Applicant(s) : Pankaj Kumar Shukla Counsel for Opposite Party(s) : G.A. Ankur Agrawal .....Applicant(s) State of U.P. .....Opposite Party(s) of the named co-accused. It is further submitted that there is no independent, reliable or cogent material on record connecting the applicant with the alleged misappropriation. Co-accused of the applicant Rishabh Chauhan has already granted bail by this Court vide order dated 31.8.2026 passed in Criminal Misc. Bail Application No. 28055 of 2026. Learned counsel further submits that the applicant has no previous criminal history. The applicant has been languishing in jail since 19.06.2026. It is also submitted that the trial is likely to take considerable time to conclude and, in the event of his release on bail on the ground of parity, the applicant undertakes that he shall not misuse the liberty of bail, shall cooperate with the trial. The prayer for bail has been vehemently opposed by learned A.G.A. Having considered the submissions advanced by learned counsel for the parties and having perused the material available on record, this Court finds that the applicant was not named in the FIR and his name surfaced subsequently during the course of investigation on the basis of the statement of co-accused. The applicant has no previous criminal history and has been in custody since 19.06.2026. Without expressing any opinion on the merits of the case, and considering the overall facts and circumstances of the case, the nature of the allegations, the period of incarceration and the likelihood of the trial taking considerable time to conclude, this Court is of the considered opinion that the applicant has made out a case for grant of bail. Accordingly, the bail application is allowed. Let the applicant-Ankur Agarwal be released on bail in the aforesaid case on furnishing a personal bond and two sureties each in the like amount to the satisfaction of the court concerned with the following conditions:- (i) The applicant shall appear before the trial court on the dates fixed, unless his personal presence is exempted. (ii) The applicant shall not directly or indirectly, make inducement, threat or promise to any person acquainted with the facts of the case so as to BAIL No. 31586 of 2026 2 dissuade him from disclosing such facts to the Court or any police officer or tamper with the evidence. (iii) The applicant shall not indulge in any criminal and anti-social activity. In case of breach of any of the above condition, the prosecution will be at liberty to move an application before this Court for cancellation of the bail of the applicant. It is clarified that the observations made herein are limited to the facts brought in by the parties pertaining to the disposal of bail application and the said observations shall have no bearing on the merits of the case during trial. September 8, 2026 Brijesh BAIL No. 31586 of 2026 3 (Jai Prakash Tiwari,J.) Digitally signed by :- BRIJESH KUMAR High Court of Judicature at Allahabad