Allowed

Pankaj v. State of U.P.

Allahabad HC15 Sept 2022BAIL/1153/2020

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

This Court allowed the bail application of an applicant charged with rape and unnatural offences. Balancing the long incarceration of the undertrial, lack of prosecution witness support, and severe jail overcrowding, the Court granted bail subject to strict conditions, including a directive for the trial court to conclude the trial within one year.

What did the court decide?

Bail granted on personal bond and two sureties with strict conditions for court attendance and expeditious trial conclusion within one year.

Pankaj Vs State of U.P. — Bail and Remand | Allahabad HC (2022)

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Court No. - 69

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Case :- CRIMINAL MISC. BAIL APPLICATION No. - 1153 of 2020

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Applicant :- Pankaj Opposite Party :- State of U.P. Counsel for Applicant :- Ajay Kumar Mishra,Atul Kumar Shahi Counsel for Opposite Party :- G.A.

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Hon'ble Siddharth,J.

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Heard learned counsel for the applicant and learned A.G.A for the State.

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There is allegation of rape after entering into the house of the victim against the applicant.

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Counsel for the applicant submits that the trial is proceeding and before the trial court P.W-1, P.W-2 and P.W-3 have been examined. They have not supported the prosecution case. The victim has been examined as P.W-3 and has been declared hostile. The other witnesses have also not supported the prosecution case. The applicant is in jail since 27.11.2019 and has no criminal history to his credit.

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On the other hand learned A.G.A has opposed the prayer for bail.

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Regarding long incarceration of under trials prisoners in jail due to delay in conclusion of trial, the Hon'ble Apex Court in re: Union of India vs. K.A. Najeeb reported in AIR 2021 Supreme Court 712 has held in Para 16 of the judgment being reproduced herein below as follows :-

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"This Court has clarified in numerous judgments that the liberty guaranteed by Part III of the Constitution would cover within its protective ambit not only due procedure and fairness but also access to justice and a speedy trial. In Supreme Court Legal Aid Committee Representing Undertrial Prisoners v. Union of India, it was held that undertrials cannot indefinitely be detained pending trial. Ideally, no person ought to suffer adverse consequences of his acts unless the same is established before a neutral arbiter. However, owing to the practicalities of real life where to secure an effective trial and to ameliorate the risk to society in case a potential criminal is left at large pending trial, Courts are tasked with deciding whether an individual ought to be released pending trial or not. Once it is

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obvious that a timely trial would not be possible and the accused has suffered incarceration for a significant period of time, Courts would ordinarily be obligated to enlarge them on bail."

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Keeping in view the nature of the offence, evidence, complicity of the accused, submissions of the learned counsel for the parties, larger mandate of the Article 21 of the Constitution of India, considering the dictum of Apex Court in the case of Dataram Singh Vs. State of U.P. and another reported in (2018) 3 SCC 22 and recent judgment dated 11.07.2022 of the Apex Court in the case of Satendra Kumar Antil vs. C.B.I., passed in S.L.P (Crl.) No. 5191 of 2021 and considering 5-6 times overcrowding in jails over and above their capacity by the under trials and without expressing any opinion on the merits of the case, the Court is of the view that the applicant has made out a case for bail. The bail application is allowed.

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Let the applicant, Pankaj, involved in Case Crime No. 1000 of 2019, under Sections- 452, 376 and 506 IPC, Police StationKankar Kheda, District- Meerut, be released on bail on his furnishing a personal bond and two sureties each in the like amount to the satisfaction of the court concerned subject to following conditions. Further, before issuing the release order, the sureties be verified.

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(i) The applicant shall not tamper with the evidence or threaten the witnesses.

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(ii) The applicant shall file an undertaking to the effect that he shall not seek any adjournment on the dates fixed for evidence when the witnesses are present in Court. In case of default of this condition, it shall be open for the Trial Court to treat it as abuse of liberty of bail and pass orders in accordance with law.

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(iii) The applicant shall remain present before the Trial Court on each date fixed, either personally or as directed by the Court. In case of his absence, without sufficient cause, the Trial Court may proceed against him under Section 229-A of the Indian Penal Code.

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(iv) In case the applicant misuses the liberty of bail during trial and in order to secure his presence, proclamation under Section 82 Cr.P.C. is issued and the applicant fails to appear before the Court on the date fixed in such proclamation then the Trial Court shall initiate proceedings against him in accordance with law under Section 174-A of the Indian Penal Code.

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(v) The applicant shall remain present in person before the Trial

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Court on the dates fixed for (i) opening of the case, (ii) framing of charge and (iii) recording of statement under Section 313 Cr.P.C. If in the opinion of the Trial Court absence of the applicant is deliberate or without sufficient cause, then it shall be open for the Trial Court to treat such default as abuse of liberty of bail and proceed against him in accordance with law.

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In case, of breach of any of the above conditions, it shall be a ground for cancellation of bail.

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Identity, status and residence proof of the applicant and sureties be verified by the court concerned before the bonds are accepted.

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Trial court is directed to conclude the trial of the applicant as expeditiously as possible preferably within a period of one year from the date of production of certified copy of this order.

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Order Date :- 15.9.2022 Rohit

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Digitally signed by ROHIT DAS Date: 2022.09.17 12:35:56 IST Reason: Location: High Court of Judicature at Allahabad

Pankaj v. State of U.P.

Case brief

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Pankaj v. State of U.P.

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