Ravi Vs State of U.P. — Murder and Culpable Homicide | Allahabad HC (2025)

Ravi Vs State of U.P. — Murder and Culpable Homicide | Allahabad HC (2025)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Applicant Ravi ordered released on bail on furnishing a personal bond and two sureties each in the like amount to the satisfaction of the court concerned (sureties to be verified before release order), subject to conditions: (i) not tamper with evidence during trial; (ii) not pressurise/intimidate prosecution witnesses; (iii) appear before the trial court on dates fixed; breach of any condition shall be a ground for cancellation of bail.

Issue for consideration

Whether the applicant, involved in Case Crime No. 208 of 2024 under Sections 302, 307, 504 & 323 IPC, Police Station Doghat, District Baghpat, should be released on bail during the pendency of trial. +1 more

Court's answer

The well-known principle of 'Presumption of Innocence Unless Proven Guilty' gives rise to bail as a rule and imprisonment as an exception; the right to life and liberty guaranteed by Article 21 cannot be taken away merely because a person stands accused, until guilt is established beyond a reasonable doubt through just and reasonable procedure.

Ratio / Principle

Considering the absence of any mentioning of the time of offence in the FIR, coupled with the fact that the injuries sustained by the applicant were not explained by the prosecution, the court found it a fit case to release the applicant on bail and allowed the bail application.

Key takeaways

The object of bail is to secure the attendance of the accused at the trial; no material circumstances suggestive of the applicant fleeing from justice or thwarting the course of justice were shown by the learned AGA, who also could not point to any exceptional circumstances warranting denial of bail.ratio¶20
Observations made in granting bail to the applicant shall not in any way affect the learned trial Judge in forming his independent opinion based on the testimony of the witnesses.obiter¶26

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Allahabad High Court (Court No. 65), Justice Krishan Pahal — order dated 08.08.2025 in CRIMINAL MISC. BAIL APPLICATION No. 19753 of 2025 (Ravi v. State of U.P.; Neutral Citation 2025:AHC:134642): bail ALLOWED in Case Crime No. 208 of 2024 under Sections 302, 307, 504 & 323 IPC, Police Station Doghat, District Baghpat, during pendency of trial. Grounds weighed: FIR contains no time of offence; the applicant himself sustained stab wounds and was hospitalised, which the prosecution did not explain; a cross-version exists and an application u/s 175(3) BNSS moved before the concerned court remained undisposed, leaving the aggressor unascertainable at this stage; deceased died of shock & hemorrhage due to ante-mortem injuries per defence contention; applicant in custody since 08.08.2024 with no criminal history (fact undisputed by the AGA). Court anchored the decision in Article 21 and the presumption of innocence, invoking 'bail is a rule and jail is an exception' via Satender Kumar Antil (2022 INSC 690), Manish Sisodia (2024 INSC 595) and Jalaluddin Khan ((2024) 10 SCC 574, extending the principle even to special statutes like the UAPA, 1967). Release ordered on personal bond and two sureties, with conditions barring tampering, witness intimidation, and requiring court appearances; breach to be ground for cancellation; order clarifies its observations will not fetter the trial judge's independent opinion.