Vishnu v. State of U.P

Court No. - 72 Case :- CRIMINAL MISC. BAIL APPLICATION No. - 52667 of 2023 Applicant :- Vishnu Opposite Party :- State of U.P. Counsel for Applicant :- Vandana Gupta,Ashutosh Gupta Counsel for Opposite Party :- G.A. Hon'ble Krishan Pahal,J.

¶1List has been revised. Supplementary affidavit filed by learned counsel for the applicant is taken on record.

¶2Heard Sri Ashutosh Gupta, learned counsel for the applicant as well as Sri Anit Kumar Shukla, learned A.G.A. for the State and perused the material placed on record.

¶3Applicant seeks bail in Case Crime No. 328 of 2023, U/S 420, 342, 386, 323, 504, 506, 411 IPC and 66D/67 Information & Technology Act, Police Station Sadar Bazar, District Mathura, during the pendency of trial.

¶4As per prosecution story, the named accused persons are stated to have lured the informant to a hotel, whereby two co-accused persons Husnara and Nazmeen are stated to have got the video recorded of him in a compromising state and had threatened him that the said video shall be made viral, as such, got transferred an amount of Rs. 93,500/- in two transactions the same day. Due to the transaction limit, more amount could not be transferred. An amount of Rs. 1,50,000/- is stated to have been further demanded by the named accused persons.

¶5Learned counsel for the applicant has argued that the applicant is absolutely innocent and has been falsely implicated in the present case with a view to cause unnecessary harassment and to victimize him. He has further stated that the applicant is not named in the FIR. His name has come up later on and it is stated that the applicant was involved in recce by standing outside the hotel. It is also stated that the case of the applicant is at a different footing to the named accused persons.

¶6Several other submissions have been made on behalf of the applicant to demonstrate the falsity of the allegations made against him. The circumstances which, as per counsel, led to the false implication of the applicant have also been touched upon at length. It is further stated that there is no criminal history of the applicant. The applicant is languishing in jail since 1.10.2023. In case, the applicant is released on bail, he will not misuse the liberty of bail.

¶7Learned A.G.A. has vehemently opposed the bail application but has not disputed the fact that there is no criminal history of the applicant.

¶8Keeping in view the nature of the offence, evidence on record regarding complicity of the accused, larger mandate of the Article 21 of the Constitution of India and without expressing any opinion on the merits of the case, the Court is of the view that the applicant has made out a case for bail. The bail application is allowed.

¶9Let the applicant-Vishnu who is involved in aforementioned case crime be released on bail on his furnishing a personal bond and two sureties each in the like amount to the satisfaction of the court concerned subject to following conditions. Further, before issuing the release order, the sureties be verified.

(i) The applicant shall not tamper with evidence.

(ii) The applicant shall remain present, in person, before the Trial Court on dates fixed for (1) opening of the case, (2) framing of charge and (3) recording of statement under Section 313 Cr.P.C. If in the opinion of the Trial Court absence of the applicant is deliberate or without sufficient cause, then it shall be open for the Trial Court to treat such default as abuse of liberty of bail and proceed against him in accordance with law.

¶10In case of breach of any of the above conditions, it shall be a ground for cancellation of bail.

¶11It is made clear that 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. (Justice Krishan Pahal) Order Date :- 15.12.2023 Shalini High Court of Judicature at Allahabad