Karishma Singh vs State of U.P. Thru. Prin. Secy… — Cheating and Forgery | Allahabad HC (2025)

Karishma Singh vs State of U.P. Thru. Prin. Secy… — Cheating and Forgery | Allahabad HC (2025)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Applicant Karishma Singh to be released on bail in Crime No. 148/2023 on furnishing a personal bond and two sureties each in the like amount to the satisfaction of the Magistrate/Court concerned, subject to conditions: (i) she shall not tamper with the prosecution evidence; (ii) she shall not pressurize the prosecution witnesses; (iii) she shall appear on each and every date fixed by the trial Court; any other conditions may be imposed by the trial court.

Issue for consideration

Whether the applicant, arraigned as a member of the gang led by Brajesh Kumar Awasthi in Crime No. 148/2023 (Sections 419, 420, 467, 468, 471 & 120-B IPC, P.S. Kotwali Nagar, District Gonda), is entitled to bail on the ground of parity with co-accused already enlarged, being a lady who has explained her criminal antecedents and has been in custody since 09.12.2023, despite the objection that investigation is still in progress.

Court's answer

Considering the bail orders passed in favour of co-accused Brajesh Kumar Awasthi and Anil Singh @ Anil Kumar Singh, and the facts that the applicant is a lady, has satisfactorily explained her criminal antecedents, and has remained in custody since 09.12.2023, the Court found it a fit case for granting bail.

Ratio / Principle

The bail application is allowed; the applicant is to be released on bail on furnishing a personal bond and two sureties each in the like amount, subject to conditions that she shall not tamper with prosecution evidence, shall not pressurize prosecution witnesses, and shall appear on each and every date fixed by the trial Court.

Key takeaways

The observations made in the order are confined to the present bail application and shall have no bearing on the merits of the trial.obiter¶25

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Bail granted — Parity with co-accused — Applicant, alleged member of gang led by Brajesh Kumar Awasthi, sought bail in Crime No. 148/2023 under Sections 419, 420, 467, 468, 471 & 120-B IPC, P.S. Kotwali Nagar, District Gonda. Main accused Brajesh Kumar Awasthi had been granted bail on 24.10.2024 in Bail Application No. 1211 of 2024 and co-accused Anil Singh @ Anil Kumar Singh on 30.09.2024 in Bail Application No. 1932 of 2024. Considering those bail orders, that the applicant is a lady, has satisfactorily explained her criminal antecedents, and has been in judicial custody since 09.12.2023, the Allahabad High Court (Lucknow Bench, Karunesh Singh Pawar, J.) held it a fit case for bail, allowing the application subject to a personal bond with two sureties and conditions against tampering with evidence, pressurizing witnesses, and requiring attendance on all trial dates. Observations confined to the bail application, without bearing on the merits of the trial.

HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT ALLAHABAD LUCKNOW

CRIMINAL MISC. BAIL APPLICATION No. - 10505 of 2025

Karishma Singh

.....Applicant(s)

Versus

State Of U.P. Thru. Prin. Secy. Home Lko.

.....Opposite Party(s)

Counsel for Applicant(s) : Dileep Kumar Pathak Counsel for Opposite Party(s) : G.A., Dadu Ram Shukla (D.R. Shukla ), Nidhi Gupta

Court No. - 15

HON'BLE KARUNESH SINGH PAWAR, J.

Heard learned counsel for the applicant, learned AGA for the State and Shri R.D. Shukla, learned counsel for the complainant.

Learned counsel for the applicant submits that the only role attributed to the applicant in the prosecution case is that she is alleged to be a member of the gang led by Brajesh Kumar Awasthi. It is further submitted that the main accused, Brajesh Kumar Awasthi, has been granted bail by this Court vide order dated 24.10.2024 passed in Criminal Misc. Bail Application No. 1211 of 2024. Another co-accused, Anil Singh @ Anil Kumar Singh, has also been enlarged on bail vide order dated 30.09.2024 passed in Criminal Misc. Bail Application No. 1932 of 2024. On the ground of parity, learned counsel seeks bail for the applicant. The applicant has duly explained her criminal antecedents in paragraph 15 of the bail application as well as in the supplementary affidavit. The applicant is in judicial custody since 09.12.2023.

It is further submitted that there is no possibility of the applicant of fleeing away after being released from jail or tampering with the witnesses. In case the applicant is enlarged on bail, he shall not misuse the liberty of bail.

Learned AGA and learned counsel for the complainant have opposed the bail application, contending that the investigation is still in progress.

Having considered the bail orders passed in favour of the aforesaid co-

BAIL No. 10505 of 2025

2

accused, the fact that the applicant is a lady, has satisfactorily explained her criminal antecedents, and has remained in custody since 09.12.2023, this Court finds it to be a fit case for granting bail to the applicant.

Accordingly, the bail application is allowed .

Let the applicant Karishma Singh , involved in Crime No. 148/2023, U/S 419,420,467,468,471& 120-B IPC, P.S. Kotwali Nagar, District Gonda, be released on bail in the aforementioned case on furnishing a personal bond and two sureties each in the like amount to the satisfaction of Magistrate/Court concerned, subject to following conditions:-

(i) the applicant shall not tamper with the prosecution evidence;

(ii) the applicant shall not pressurize the prosecution witnesses;

(iii) the applicant shall appear on each and every date fixed by the trial Court.

Any other condition(s) which the trial court/concerned court may deem fit and proper, in the circumstances of the case, may also be imposed.

It is clarified that the observations made in this order are confined to the present bail application and shall have no bearing on the merits of the trial.

(Karunesh Singh Pawar,J.)

December 15, 2025 R.C.

Digitally signed by :- RAM CHANDER YADAV High Court of Judicature at Allahabad, Lucknow Bench