High Court of Kerala dismissed anticipatory bail applications in a cheating case involving sale of fake Honda accessories. The Court held petitioners needed custodial interrogation to explain how they acquired and delivered duplicate parts.
Petitioners directed to surrender within two weeks for interrogation; bail dismissed pending investigation.
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IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM
PRESENT
THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE ASHOK MENON
THURSDAY, THE 09TH DAY OF JULY 2020 / 18TH ASHADHA, 1942
Bail Appl..No.611 OF 2020
AGAINST THE ORDER/JUDGMENT IN CRMC 1389/2019 DATED 16-01-2020 OF DISTRICT COURT& SESSIONS COURT,MANJERI
CRIME NO.564/2019 OF Kondotty Police Station , Malappuram
PETITIONER/S:
IRSHAD K.P.
AGED 21 YEARS S/O.MOOSA, NADUTHODU HOUSE, KUZHIMANNA.P.O, KONDOTTY TALUK, MALAPPURAM DISTRICT
BY ADV. SRI.K.MOHAMMED RAFEEQ
RESPONDENT/S:
2 SUB INSPECTOR OF POLICE KONDOTTY POLICE STATION, MALAPPURAM DISTRICT-673638
AGED 40 YEARS S/O MOHAMMED, AGM-AM HONDA, ANGADIPURAM P.O, MALLAPURAM DISTRICT, PIN-679324.
IS IMPLEADED AS ADDITIONAL R3 AS PER THE ORDER DATED 07/02/2020 IN CRL.MA NO.2/2020.
R3 BY ADV. G.SREEKUMAR (CHELUR)
OTHER PRESENT:
SRI.C.N.PRABHAKRAN SR PP
THIS BAIL APPLICATION HAVING COME UP FOR ADMISSION ON 09.07.2020, ALONG WITH Bail Appl..826/2020, THE COURT ON THE SAME DAY PASSED THE FOLLOWING:
B.A. Nos.611 & 826 of 2020 2
IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM
PRESENT
THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE ASHOK MENON
THURSDAY, THE 09TH DAY OF JULY 2020 / 18TH ASHADHA, 1942
Bail Appl..No.826 OF 2020
AGAINST THE ORDER/JUDGMENT IN CRMC 1389/2019 OF DISTRICT COURT& SESSIONS COURT,MANJERI
CRIME NO.564/2019 OF Kondotty Police Station , Malappuram
PETITIONER/S:
SHINOY E.K., AGED 29 YEARS S/O.SUNDARAN, MURUKA NIVAS, VALLIKKAPPATTA P.O., KOOTTILANGADI, ERNAD TALUK, MALAPPURAM DISTRICT.
BY ADVS. SRI.P.VENUGOPAL (1086/92) SMT.T.J.MARIA GORETTI
RESPONDENT/S:
1 STATE OF KERALA, REPRESENTED BY PUBLIC PROSECUTOR, HIGH COURT OF KERALA, ERNAKULAM, PIN - 682 031.
2 STATION HOUSE OFFICER, KONDOTTY POLICE STATION, MALAPPURAM DISTRICT, PIN - 673 638.
3 ADDL.R3.HARRIS AGED 40 YEARS S/O MOHAMMED, AGM-AM HONDA, ANGADIPURAM PO, MALLAPURAM DISTRICT, PIN-679324. IS IMPLEADED AS ADDL.R3 AS PER ORDER DATED 27/2/2020 IN CRL.MA NO.1/2020 IN BA-826/2020.
R3 BY ADV. G.SREEKUMAR (CHELUR)
THIS BAIL APPLICATION HAVING COME UP FOR ADMISSION ON 09.07.2020, ALONG WITH Bail Appl..611/2020, THE COURT ON THE SAME DAY PASSED THE FOLLOWING:
B.A. Nos.611 & 826 of 2020 3
O R D E R
Dated this the 9th day of July 2020
The petitioner in B.A. No.826/2020 is the 1st accused while the petitioner in B.A.No.611/2020 is the 3rd accused in Crime No.564/2020 of Kondotty Police station, Malappuram for having allegedly committed offences punishable under Sections 420, 465, 468 & 471 r/w Section 34 of IPC. There is one more accused, who is arrayed as the 2nd accused, who according to the petitioners was arrested and released on bail by the jurisdictional Magistrate.
B.A. Nos.611 & 826 of 2020 4
cheated the customers as also the firm. It is stated because of the sale of duplicate parts, the accused made huge profits which is approximated at around Rs.10,25,000/- and needs to be assessed finally during a detailed investigation which is on the way.
B.A. Nos.611 & 826 of 2020 5
The complaint was lodged regarding the alleged sale of spurious accessories of Honda and the petitioners cheating the firm as well as the clients only in November, 2019. The petitioners would contend that the delay in filing the complaint itself has to be viewed suspiciously and the petitioners are not able to answer the accusation made against them after such a long time, because the documents may not be probably available to defend their case and therefore they seek prearrest bail in this matter.
B.A. Nos.611 & 826 of 2020 6
aggrieved by the alleged selling of fake parts by the firm and they even threatened to withdraw the agency licence granted to the firm. Hence it was after closely observing the sale pattern that took place only in Kondotty Branch that a complaint was ultimately lodged against the accused persons and it is submitted that without the knowledge of the branch manager the sales executive as also the delivery boy, such pushing of fake parts with the sale of a new vehicle could not have been possible. Hence the accused are solely responsible for that. It is also submitted that the forged bills and vouchers were given to the customers as if the parts were all original and the difference that was earned by the accused went directly to their pockets. Considering the gravity of offence committed by the petitioners, the anticipatory bail applications filed them before the Sessions Court, Manjeri was dismissed vide common order dated 16.01.2020. The learned Sessions Judge relied on the decisions of Chithambaram P.V.
Directorate of Enforcement [2019 KHC 6886] as also the decision of this Court in State of Kerala v. Aboobacker P. [ 2019 (2) KLJ 68] in dismissing the application for anticipatory bail.
B.A. Nos.611 & 826 of 2020 7
sparingly in exceptional cases, where the arrest and the custodial interrogation of the accused persons would end up in humiliation to them. In the instant case, there is prima facie indication that the alleged act of pushing duplicate accessories with the sale of Honda scooters was happening only in the branch where the accused were employed and it did not appear in any other branches of the firm. There is no indication that similar complaints have been lodged pertaining to other branches as well.
submits that considering the pandemic situation in the State, the benefit of Full Bench decision of W.P.(C) No.9400/2020 (Suo Motu) may also be extended to the petitioners in this case and also the fact that the 2nd accused was already released on regular bail by the jurisdictional Magistrate.
B.A. Nos.611 & 826 of 2020 8
place of original accessories of the Honda company. Hence they are not entitled to the extra ordinary remedy of pre arrest bail in this case.
The petitioners are therefore directed to surrender before the investigating officer within a period of two weeks and after interrogation, in the event of they being arrested, they shall be produced before jurisdictional court where they shall be at liberty to apply for regular bail, which shall be considered by the jurisdictional court on merits and disposed of preferably on the very same date. The trial court shall consider the repercussions of the Full Bench decision of this Court in W.P.(C) No.9400/2020 also while considering the regular bail applications filed by the petitioners.
With these observations, the petitions are dismissed.
Sd/-
ASHOK MENON
JUDGE
rmm
2 issues framed by the court
Whether the petitioners are entitled to pre-arrest bail in allegations regarding cheating by sale of duplicate accessories.
Whether there was a need for custodial interrogation given the prima facie involvement of the accused in the branch where the alleged offence occurred.
Colour shows how this judgement treated each authority
Chithambaram P.V. Directorate of EnforcementRelied on¶53
Chithambaram P.V. Directorate of Enforcement [2019 KHC 6886]
State of Kerala v. Aboobacker P.Relied on¶53
State of Kerala v. Aboobacker P. [2019 (2) KLJ 68]
Irshad K.P.
Shinoy E.K.
State of Kerala
Ashok Menon
As recorded by the court registry
Judgements on the same questions, provisions and authorities, from every court
