Allowed¶39

Udit Mishra v. State (Nct of Delhi)

Delhi HC17 Feb 2026BAIL APPLN./1782/2025

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

Anticipatory bail ALLOWED - Pawan Kumar Mishra & Udit Mishra (father & son) - FIR 171/2025, PS I.P. Estate - Ss. 420/467/468/471/34 IPC - forged electricity bill for water connection, landlord dispute, counter-FIR 175/2023 (20.06.2023) - joined investigation, no misuse of liberty - Delhi High Court, Justice Girish Kathpalia, 17.02.2026 - personal bond Rs. 10,000/- each with one surety.

What did the court decide?

Anticipatory bail granted to both applicants: in the event of arrest, release on bail subject to furnishing a personal bond of Rs. 10,000/- each with one surety in the like amount, to the satisfaction of the IO/SHO concerned. ¶39

Udit Mishra Vs State (Nct of Delhi) — Cheating and Forgery | Delhi HC (2026)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

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Issue for consideration

Whether the accused/applicants Pawan Kumar Mishra and Udit Mishra are entitled to anticipatory bail in FIR No. 171/2025 of PS I.P. Estate, registered for offences under Sections 420/467/468/471/34 IPC. +1 more

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Court's answer

Both anticipatory bail applications were allowed; in the event of arrest, the applicants are to be released on bail on furnishing a personal bond of Rs. 10,000/- each with one surety in the like amount, to the satisfaction of the IO/SHO concerned.

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Ratio / Principle

Since the accused/applicants joined the investigation as and when directed by the IO and had not misused their liberty while under interim protection, the court found no reason to deprive them of liberty.

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Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Anticipatory bail granted to father and son co-applicants Pawan Kumar Mishra and Udit Mishra in FIR No. 171/2025, PS I.P. Estate (offences under Sections 420/467/468/471/34 IPC), where the tenant-father was alleged to have forged an electricity bill to obtain a water connection in the tenanted premises. Counsel argued the FIR was a counter-blast to FIR No. 175/2023 (registered 20.06.2023) lodged against the landlord's attempted forcible eviction, that the alleged forgery dated to 2023 but was first reported by the landlord only on 03.04.2025, and that civil litigation was pending between the parties and with Delhi Jal Board. The State (APP Amit Ahlawat assisted by IO/ASI Raj Kumar) conceded the applicants regularly joined investigation during interim protection but had not handed over the original allegedly forged bill; counsel maintained the applicants neither possessed nor forged it, noting that even per the investigation the copy was not endorsed by either applicant as the true copy of an original. Holding that the applicants had joined investigation as directed and had not misused their liberty, Justice Girish Kathpalia found no reason to deprive them of liberty and allowed both applications, directing release on arrest on a personal bond of Rs. 10,000/- each with one surety in the like amount to the satisfaction of the IO/SHO concerned.

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$~5 & 6

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IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI

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% Date of Decision: 17.02.2026

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+ BAIL APPLN. 1725/2025 & CRL.M.(BAIL) 972/2025

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PAWAN KUMAR MISHRA .....Petitioner

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Through: Mr. Ronak Gupta, Ms. Nazia Parveen, Mr. Navjot Singh and Mr. Kunwar Samrat Solanki Advocate.

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versus

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STATE (NCT OF DELHI) .....Respondent

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Through: Mr. Amit Ahlawat, APP for State with IO/ASI Raj Kumar.

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+ BAIL APPLN. 1782/2025 & CRL.M.(BAIL) 1016/2025

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UDIT MISHRA .....Petitioner Through: Mr. Ronak Gupta, Ms. Nazia Parveen, Mr. Navjot Singh and Mr. Kunwar Samrat Solanki Advocate. versus

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STATE (NCT OF DELHI) .....Respondent Through: Mr. Amit Ahlawat, APP for State with IO/ASI Raj Kumar.

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CORAM: JUSTICE GIRISH KATHPALIA

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J U D G M E N T (ORAL)

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The accused/applicants seek anticipatory bail in case FIR No. 171/2025 of PS I.P. Estate for offence under Section 420/467/468/471/34

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BAIL APPLNS. 1725/2025 & 1782/2025 Page 1 of 4 pages

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GIRISH KATHPALIA Digitally signed by GIRISH KATHPALIA DN: c=IN, o=HIGH COURT OF DELHI, 2.5.4.20=8401dd889b27a77b2f65ffffe4afec45569af3962c6fb4835d435f97626cacca, ou=HIGH COURT OF DELHI,CID - 7047638, postalCode=110003, st=Delhi, serialNumber=d3e86796451ec45c07b5d15570996b40f80cbd2eee60402c487965ff801e26fa, cn=GIRISH KATHPALIA Date: 2026.02.17 18:13:53 -08'00'

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Signature Not Verified

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Digitally Signed By:NEETU N NAIR Signing Da te:1 7.02.2026 18:33:23

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IPC. The accused/applicant Pawan Kumar Mishra is father of the accused/applicant Udit Mishra.

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These anticipatory bail applications, listed before me for the first time, are pending since May 2025 and are part of 179 old pending bail applications assigned to this bench by way of transfer from different benches. Despite that, none appears for accused/applicants. That is apparently because both accused/applicants were granted interim protection from arrest by the predecessor bench. Having been granted interim protection on date to date basis, the accused/applicants have taken an impression that they can get the matter adjourned endlessly.

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2.1 At this stage during dictation, the arguing counsel Mr. Ronak Gupta, Advocate has appeared and I have heard him as well as learned prosecutor.

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Broadly speaking, allegation against the accused/applicant is that being a tenant in the premises, the accused/applicant Pawan Kumar Mishra forged an electricity bill to obtain water connection in his name in the said tenanted premises.

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It is submitted by learned counsel for accused/applicants that there is a dispute between the present accused/applicants and their landlord, who tried to forcibly evict them from the tenanted property so on their complaint FIR No.175/2023 was registered by the local police on 20.06.2023. It is as a

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BAIL APPLNS. 1725/2025 & 1782/2025

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Page 2 of 4 pages

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Signature Not Verified

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Digitally Signed By:NEETU N NAIR Signing Da te:1 7.02.2026 18:33:23

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matter of counter-blast, according to learned counsel, that the landlord connived with the local police and got registered the current FIR. Further, it is submitted by learned counsel that the alleged forgery of the electricity bill took place in the year 2023 but the incident was reported for the first time by the landlord on 03.04.2025. It is also contended that multiple civil litigations between the accused/applicants and landlord as well as between the accused/applicants and Delhi Jal Board were instituted.

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Learned APP for State assisted IO/ASI Raj Kumar submits that during the period of their interim protection the accused/applicants regularly joined the investigation, but did not hand over original forged bill of electricity.

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As regards handing over the original electricity bill, it is contended by learned counsel for accused/applicants that the same is not in possession of the accused/applicants because they never forged the same. It is also pointed out by learned counsel that even according to the investigation, copy of the allegedly forged bill was not endorsed by either of the accused/applicants to be the true copy of the original document.

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Considering the above circumstances, especially the submission of prosecution side that the accused/applicants have joined investigation, as and when directed by the IO and have not misused their liberty, I find no reason to deprive liberty to the accused/applicants.

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BAIL APPLNS. 1725/2025 & 1782/2025

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Page 3 of 4 pages

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Digitally signed by GIRISH KATHPALIA DN: c=IN, o=HIGH COURT OF DELHI, 2.5.4.20=8401dd889b27a77b2f65ffffe4afec GIRISH 45569af3962c6fb4835d435f97626cacca, ou=HIGH COURT OF DELHI,CID - 7047638, postalCode=110003, st=Delhi, serialNumber=d3e86796451ec45c07b5d15 KATHPALIA 570996b40f80cbd2eee60402c487965ff801 e26fa, cn=GIRISH KATHPALIA Date: 2026.02.17 18:13:32 -08'00'

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Signature Not Verified

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Digitally Signed By:NEETU N NAIR Signing Da te:1 7.02.2026 18:33:23

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Therefore, both these applications are allowed and it is directed that in the event of their arrest, the accused/applicants shall be released on bail, subject to their furnishing a personal bond in the sum of Rs. 10,000/- each with one surety in the like amount to the satisfaction of the IO/SHO concerned.

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Digitally signed by GIRISH KATHPALIA
DN: c=IN, o=HIGH COURT OF DELHI,
2.5.4.20=8401dd889b27a77b2f65ffffe4afe
GIRISH c45569af3962c6fb4835d435f97626cacca,
ou=HIGH COURT OF DELHI,CID - 7047638,
postalCode=110003, st=Delhi,
serialNumber=d3e86796451ec45c07b5d1
KATHPALIA 5570996b40f80cbd2eee60402c487965ff8
01e26fa, cn=GIRISH KATHPALIA
Date: 2026.02.17 18:13:19 -08'00'
GIRISH KATHPALIA
(JUDGE)

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FEBRUARY 17, 2026/ ry

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BAIL APPLNS. 1725/2025 & 1782/2025

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Page 4 of 4 pages

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Signature Not Verified Digitally Signed By:NEETU N NAIR Signing Da te:1 7.02.2026 18:33:23

Udit Mishra v. State (Nct of Delhi)

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

Udit Mishra v. State (Nct of Delhi)

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

Why is it important?

What the court decided

Issues for consideration

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