Meera Srivastava Vs State of U.P. Thru. Prin. Secy… — Cheating and Forgery | Allahabad HC (2025)

Meera Srivastava Vs State of U.P. Thru. Prin. Secy… — Cheating and Forgery | Allahabad HC (2025)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Applicant Meera Srivastava ordered to be released on bail 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 prosecution evidence; (ii) she shall not pressurize prosecution witnesses; (iii) she shall appear on each and every date fixed by the trial Court.

Issue for consideration

Whether the applicant, Meera Srivastava, should be enlarged on bail in Case Crime No. 216 of 2020 (Sections 409, 420, 467, 468, 471, 120-B IPC, P.S. Gomti Nagar, District Lucknow).

Court's answer

The Court held that the facts and circumstances on record (prolonged incarceration since 20.10.2021, charges framed in only about 10 recent cases, no prosecution witness examined, bail already granted in 75 of 90 similar cases, and the applicant being a woman alleged to be falsely implicated) were sufficient to make out a case for enlargement of the applicant on bail in Case Crime No. 216 of 2020.

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Bail granted — CRIMINAL MISC. BAIL APPLICATION No. 5281 of 2025, decided 7.8.2025 by Hon'ble Subhash Vidyarthi, J. (High Court of Judicature at Allahabad, Lucknow Bench; Neutral Citation 2025:AHC-LKO:46661). Applicant Meera Srivastava, a woman charged along with others in Case Crime No. 216 of 2020 under Sections 409, 420, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B IPC at P.S. Gomti Nagar, District Lucknow (F.I.R. alleging investments in Shine City Infra Project Ltd. yielded no benefit), was enlarged on bail. Grounds relied upon: incarceration since 20.10.2021; charges framed in only about 10 cases in the preceding week with no prosecution witness examined anywhere and charges not yet framed in numerous cases; involvement disclosed in 90 similar cases in respect of 75 of which bail had already been granted; affidavit claiming she was innocent and falsely implicated. The A.G.A.-I did not dispute these facts. After the complainant's counsel repeatedly sought adjournments (including on 09.06.2025 on grounds of illness), the Court proceeded to decide the matter finally. Bail allowed on a personal bond and two sureties in the like amount, conditioned on non-tampering with evidence, non-pressure on witnesses, and appearance on every trial date.

Neutral Citation No. - 2025:AHC-LKO:46661

Court No. - 13

Case :- CRIMINAL MISC. BAIL APPLICATION No. - 5281 of 2025

Applicant :- Meera Srivastava Opposite Party :- State Of U.P. Thru. Prin. Secy. Home Lko. And Another

Counsel for Applicant :- Desh Mitra Anand,Arvind Kumar Counsel for Opposite Party :- G.A.,Rohit Tripathi

Hon'ble Subhash Vidyarthi,J.

A request for adjournment of the case has been made on behalf of Shri Brjiesh Singh Vishen, learned counsel for the opposite party no.2.

On 09.06.2025 also, when the case was listed, adjournment had been sought on behalf of Shri Brjiesh Singh Vishen on the ground of his illness. While adjourning the case, this Court had specifically mentioned that in case the learned counsel for the complainant fails to assist the Court even on the next date, the matter shall be decided finally.

Accordingly, the Court proceeds to decide the bail application after hearing the submissions of the Shri Desh Mitra Anand, learned counsel for the applicant, Shri Jayant Singh Tomar, learned A.G.A.-I for the State and perusing the records.

The instant application has been filed seeking release of the applicant on bail in Case Crime No.216 of 2020, under Sections 409, 420, 467, 468, 471, 120-B I.P.C. registered at Police Station Gomti Nagar, District Lucknow.

The aforesaid case has been registered on the basis of an F.I.R. alleging that the informant had made investments in

Shine City Infra Project Ltd. but no benefit was given to him on the investments made in the aforesaid company.

In the affidavit filed in support of the bail application, it has been stated that the applicant is a woman who is an innocent person and has been falsely implicated in the present case.

The applicant's involvement in 90 other criminal cases has been disclosed in annexure 7 of the bail application, all of which are similar in nature and the applicant has already been granted bail in 75 cases of similar nature.

Learned counsel for the applicant has submitted that the applicant is languishing in jail since 20.10.2021 and merely charges have been framed in about 10 cases in the last week. Not a single prosecution witness has been examined and in numerous cases, even charges have not been framed till date.

Learned A.G.A.-I has vehemently opposed the bail application but could not dispute the aforesaid facts and circumstances of the case.

Having considered the aforesaid facts and circumstances of the case, I am of the view that the aforesaid facts are sufficient for making out a case for enlargement of the applicant on bail in the aforesaid crime.

Accordingly, this bail application stands allowed .

Let the applicant- Meera Srivastava 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.

Order Date :- 7.8.2025 S. Shivhare

Digitally signed by :- SHASHANK SHIVHARE High Court of Judicature at Allahabad, Lucknow Bench