Allowed

Gulab Maurya v. State of U.P. and 3 Others

Allahabad HC1 May 2023BAIL/8470/2023

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

The Allahabad High Court allowed the bail application of Gulab Maurya, a 65-year-old first-time accused in a sexual assault case under POCSO and IPC sections. The Court held bail is a rule and noted the State failed to establish exceptional circumstances warranting denial.

What did the court decide?

The applicant to be released on bail on furnishing a personal bond and two sureties subject to specified conditions.

Gulab Maurya Vs State of U.P. and 3 Others — Child Sexual Offences (POCSO) | Allahabad HC (2023)

¶1

Court No. - 88

¶2

Case :- CRIMINAL MISC. BAIL APPLICATION No. - 8470 of 2023

¶3

Applicant :- Gulab Maurya Opposite Party :- State Of U.P. And 3 Others Counsel for Applicant :- Munna Tiwari Counsel for Opposite Party :- G.A.

¶4

Hon'ble Vikram D. Chauhan,J.

¶5

Learned A.G.A. submits that instructions have been received and he has no objection in case the bail application is heard on merits.

¶6

Heard learned counsel for the applicant, learned A.G.A. for the State and perused the record.

¶7

It is submitted by learned counsel for the applicant that as per the allegations in the first information report the applicant along with co-accused have sexually assaulted the victim. He submits that in the counter affidavit filed by learned A.G.A. it has been stated that no injury was found on the body of the victim. The applicant has been falsely implicated on account of village party politics. All the co-accused persons are family members and the applicant is aged about 65 years. No video of the aforesaid incident was viral and no video was recovered by the police. The applicant has no criminal history. Applicant is languishing in jail since 17.12.2022 and in case he is released on bail, he will not misuse the liberty of bail and will cooperate in the trial.

¶8

Learned A.G.A. for the State opposed the prayer for bail but does not dispute factual matrix of the case.

¶9

Learned AGA has not brought any fact or circumstances to indicate criminal history or antecedents of the applicant which would disentitle the applicant for Bail.

¶10

It is not the case of the State that the applicant has not cooperated in the investigation or proceedings before the trial court.

¶11

The principle that Bail is a rule and Jail is an exception has been well recognised by Apex Court more specifically on the touch stone of Article 21 of the Constitution. The said principle has been reiterated by the Apex Court in Satyendra Kumar Antil Vs Central Bureau of Investigation and another, 2022 (10) SCC

¶12

51 . Learned AGA has not shown any exceptional circumstances which would warrant denial of bail to the Applicant.

¶13

No material, facts or circumstances has been shown by learned AGA that the accused may tamper with the evidence or witnesses or the accused is of such character that his mere presence at large would intimidate the witnesses or that accused will use his liberty to subvert justice or tamper with the evidence.

¶14

It is settled principle of law that the object of bail is to secure the attendance of the accused at the trial. No material particulars or circumstances suggestive of the applicant fleeing from justice or thwarting the course of justice or creating other troubles in the shape of repeating offences or intimidating witnesses and the like have been shown by learned AGA for the State.

¶15

Learned AGA for the State has not shown any material or circumstances that the accused/applicant is not entitled to bail in larger interests of the public or State.

¶16

Considering the facts and circumstances of the case, nature of offence, evidence, complicity of the accused, submissions of learned counsel for the parties 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.

¶17

Let the applicant Gulab Maurya involved in Case Crime No.491 of 2022, under Sections 377, 506 I.P.C. and Section 5m, 6 of POCSO Act, Police Station Gola, District Gorakhpur be released on bail on furnishing a personal bond and two sureties each in the like amount to the satisfaction of the court concerned subject to the following conditions:-

¶18

The applicant will not tamper with the evidence during the trial.

¶19

The applicant will not pressurize/intimidate the prosecution witness.

¶20

The applicant will appear before the trial court on the date fixed, unless personal presence is exempted and/or the applicant shall make himself available for interrogation by a police officer as and when required.

¶21

The applicant shall not commit an offence similar to the offence of which he is accused, or suspected, of the commission of which he is suspected.

¶22

5 . The applicant shall not directly or indirectly make any inducement, threat or promise to any person acquainted with the facts of the case so as to dissuade him from disclosing such facts to the Court or to any police officer or tamper with the evidence.

¶23

The applicant shall not leave India without the previous permission of the Court.

¶24

In case of breach of any of the above condition, the prosecution shall be at liberty to move bail cancellation application before this Court.

¶25

Order Date :- 1.5.2023 Bhaskar

¶26

Digitally signed by :- BHASKAR High Court of Judicature at Allahabad

Gulab Maurya v. State of U.P. and 3 Others

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

Gulab Maurya v. State of U.P. and 3 Others

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

What the court decided

A compact analysis

Issues for consideration

Cases cited

Statutes considered

Parties & counsel

Coram

Case details

Similar cases

Babu and Another Vs State of U.P.

Pradeep Yadav Vs State of U.P. through its Secretary (Home)

Radheshyam Yadav and Another Vs State of U.P.

Harshdeep Singh Vs State of U.P.

Khurseed Ansari Vs State of U.P. and Another

Satya Rai @ Golu Vs State of U.P.