Puneet Verma vs State of U.P. — Murder and Culpable Homicide | Allahabad HC (2025)

Puneet Verma vs State of U.P. — Murder and Culpable Homicide | Allahabad HC (2025)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Bail application allowed; applicant Puneet Verma to be released on bail on furnishing a personal bond and two local sureties each of the like amount, subject to conditions (¶¶16-19): not to tamper with evidence; not to indulge in any criminal activity; not to pressurize/intimidate prosecution witnesses and to cooperate in the trial; to appear regularly on each and every date fixed by the trial court unless personal appearance is exempted through counsel; breach entitles the court below to proceed to cancel bail.

Issue for consideration

Whether applicant Puneet Verma should be enlarged on bail in Case Crime No. 83 of 2025, under Sections 103 (1), 61 (2) BNS, Police Station-Simbhawali, District-Hapur, during pendency of trial.

Court's answer

Considering the nature of the offence, material/evidence brought on record, complicity of the accused, severity of punishment and the submissions of counsel, the Court concluded that the applicant had made out a case for bail and allowed the bail application.

Ratio / Principle

Applicant Puneet Verma directed to be released on bail on furnishing a personal bond and two local sureties each of the like amount, subject to conditions including non-tampering with evidence, abstention from criminal activity, no pressurising/intimidating of prosecution witnesses with cooperation in the trial, and regular appearance on dates fixed by the trial court.

Key takeaways

Upon breach of any of the imposed bail conditions, the court below is at liberty to proceed to cancel the applicant's bail.ratio¶¶20

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Bail granted - High Court of Judicature at Allahabad (Court No. 66), Criminal Misc. Bail Application No. 24221 of 2025, decided September 10, 2025 by Hon'ble Ashutosh Srivastava, J.: applicant Puneet Verma enlarged on bail in Case Crime No. 83 of 2025, Sections 103 (1), 61 (2) BNS, Police Station Simbhawali, District Hapur, pending trial. FIR lodged by the Village Chukidar over an unknown dead body near Mohalla Baxar, initially against unknown persons; during investigation Shobhit Verma surfaced as owner of Ertiga car UP16DC-7538, the applicant being his real brother engaged in the travel business, and the applicant was named only in co-accused statements alleging the car was taken on rent from him; in custody since 09.04.2025; criminal history of one case explained (para 22 of bail affidavit). Weighing the nature of the offence, material on record, complicity, severity of punishment and counsel's submissions, the Court held a case for bail was made out, allowed the application, and directed release on a personal bond with two local sureties of like amount subject to conditions (no tampering with evidence, no criminal activity, no pressure on witnesses, cooperation and regular trial attendance), breach permitting the court below to cancel bail.

HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT ALLAHABAD CRIMINAL MISC. BAIL APPLICATION No. - 24221 of 2025

Puneet Verma

.....Applicant(s)

Versus
State of U.P. .....Opposite Party(s)
Counsel for Applicant(s) : Vinay Kumar Singh
Counsel for Opposite Party(s) : G.A.

Court No. - 66

HON'BLE ASHUTOSH SRIVASTAVA, J.

Heard Shri V.K.Singh, learned counsel for the applicant and Shri Yagyavalka Pandey, learned A.G.A. for the State and perused the record.

The present bail application has been filed by the applicant Puneet Verma with a prayer to enlarge him on bail in Case Crime No. 83 of 2025, under Sections 103 (1), 61 (2) BNS, Police Station-Simbhawali, District-Hapur, during pendency of trial.

Learned counsel for the applicant submits that the accused applicant is innocent. He has been falsely implicated in the present case and is languishing in jail since 09.04.2025. Learned counsel for the applicant submits that First Information Report was lodged by the Village Chukidar with regard to lying kept an unknown dead body in the way of Mohalla Baxar, near under construction Pulia. Learned counsel for the applicant submits that First Information Report was lodged against unknown person. During investigation name of some persons has been disclosed by the informer. It has been further argued that during investigation name of one Shobhit Verma, has been surfaced as owner of Ertiga Car being Registration No. UP16DC-7538, the applicant is real brother of the Shobhit Verma and is engaged in business of travel. Name of the applicant has been surfaced in the statement of the co-accused persons only with the statement that the applicant is engaged in business of travel and the accused persons have taken the aforesaid car on rent from him. Criminal history of one case has been explained in paragraph no. 22 of the affidavit filed ins support of bail application and there is no likelihood of his fleeing from course of justice or tampering with evidence in case of release on bail; hence, bail has been prayed for.

Per contra, learned A.G.A. has vehemently opposed the bail prayer of the applicant but could not dispute the aforesaid facts.

Considering the nature of the offence, material/evidence brought on

BAIL No. 24221 of 2025

2

record, complicity of the accused, severity of punishment, the submissions made by the learned counsel for the parties, the Court is of the view that the applicant has made out a case for bail. The bail application is allowed.

Let the applicant- Puneet Verma , involved in aforesaid case crime be released on bail on his furnishing a personal bond and two local sureties each of the like amount to the satisfaction of the court concerned, subject to the following conditions:-

The applicant will not tamper with the evidence.

The applicant will not indulge in any criminal activity.

The applicant will not pressurize/intimidate the prosecution witnesses and co-operate in the trial.

The applicant will appear regularly on each and every date fixed by the trial court, unless his personal appearance is exempted through counsel by the court concerned.

In the event of breach of any of the aforesaid conditions, the court below will be at liberty to proceed to cancel his bail.

(Ashutosh Srivastava,J.)

September 10, 2025

Deepak/

Digitally signed by :- DEEPAK KUMAR KUSHWAHA High Court of Judicature at Allahabad