Narender Sharma @ Nitin Sharma v. State of Haryana

o o o o CRM-M-15032-2026oo o o o 1o o o 104o INoTHEoHIGHoCOURToOFoPUNJABoANDoHARYANAoAToCHANDIGARHo o CRM-M-15032-2026o o o NarenderoSharmao@oNitinoSharmao ....Petitionerooo versuso o StateoofoHaryanao o ....Respondento o DateoofoDecision:oAprilo07,o2026o DateoofoUploading:oAprilo07,o2026o o CORAM:o HON'BLEoMR.oJUSTICEoSUMEEToGOELoo Present:oo Mr.oJasveeroSinghoDhaliwal,oAdvocateoforotheopetitioner.o o o o Ms.oMahimaoYashpaloSingla,oSenioroDAGoHaryana.o o o o Mr.oManmohanoSaroop,oAdvocateoandoo o o Ms.oMeenakshioSaroop,oAdvocateoforotheocomplainant.oo o *****o***** SUMEEToGOEL,oJ.o(Oral)oo o o Presento petitiono hasobeeno filedo undero Sectiono482o ofoBharatiyao NagarikoSurakshaoSanhita,o2023o(hereinafterotoobeoreferredoaso'theoBNSS')o(oldo Sectiono 438o ofo Cr.o P.C.)o foro granto ofo pre-arrest/anticipatoryo bailo too theo petitioner,o ino caseo bearingo FIRo No.80o datedo 18.03.2022,o registeredo foro theo offencesopunishableounderoSectionso506,o420,o406,o365,o342oofoIPC,o1860,oato PoliceoStationoCityoPehowa,oDistrictoKurukshetra.oo

2.o o TheogravamenoofotheoFIRoinoquestionoreflectsothatotheocriminalolawo wasosetointoomotionoonotheobasisoofocomplaintomovedobyotheocomplainanto–oPalio Ram,oproprietoroofoM/soKissanoRiceoMill,oengagedoinotheotradeooforice.ooAsopero theocomplainant,oco-accusedo–oRajbir,owhoowasoalsoodealingoinorice,oapproachedo o o o o CRM-M-15032-2026oo o o o 2o o himoandoofferedotoosupplyoriceoatoconcessionalorates.ooItohasobeenoallegedothatoheo wasoinducedobyosaidoco-accusedo–oRajbirotoopurchaseo3,000oquintalsooforiceoatoao concessionalo rate.o Ono theo pretexto ofo sucho transaction,o theo complainanto waso calledotooMohali,oforomakingopayments,owhereoheowasointroducedotooco-accusedo DilbagoSinghoandotheopresentopetitioner.oItohasobeenofurtheroallegedothatotheo substantialoamountsowereopaidoinocashoonodifferentooccasionsotootheoaccusedo personso buto neithero theo riceo waso suppliedo noro theo amounto waso returned.o Subsequently,oinsteadooforeturningotheoamount,otheoaccusedopersonsoallegedlyo attemptedotoodivertotheocomplainantointooaolandotransaction,ofirstoatoYamunao Nagaro ando thereaftero ato Kotdwar,o Uttarkhand,o ono theo pretexto thato earliero paymentsowouldobeoadjustedoagainstotheosaleoconsideration.oInothatoprocess,otheo complainantoallegesothatofurtheroamountsowereoextractedofromohimounderotheo guiseoofodocumentationoandoearnestomoney.oTheocomplainantofurtheroallegeso thato wheno heo expressedo hiso inabilityo too payo ano additionalo amount,o heo waso wrongfullyoconfinedoandothreatened.oInototality,otheocomplainantoallegesothatoheo wasocheatedoofoanoamountoaggregatingotooapproximatelyoRs.2.29ocrores.oOno theseosetoofoallegations,otheoinstantoFIRowasoregisteredoandoinvestigationoensued.oo

3.o o Learnedocounseloforotheopetitionerohasoiteratedothatotheopetitioneroiso innocentoandohasobeenofalselyoimplicatedointootheoFIRoinoquestion.ooLearnedo counselohasofurtheroiteratedothatothereoisoanounexplainedodelayoofomoreothanooneo yearo ino lodgingo theo FIR,o whicho castso seriouso doubto ono theo veracityo ofo theo allegations.oItohasobeenofurtheroarguedothatotheoentireostoryoisohighlyoimprobable,o asonooprudentopersonowouldorepeatedlyopartowithohugeoamountsoofocashoafteroano initialo allegedo deception.o Ito haso beeno furthero arguedo thato noo documentaryo evidenceohasobeenoplacedoonorecordotoosubstantiateotheoallegationsoexceptotheo baldo statemento ofo theo complainant.o o Accordingo too learnedo counsel,o theo o o o o CRM-M-15032-2026oo o o o 3o o complainanto himselfo haso cheatedo variouso personso ando iso statedo too haveo abscondedoabroad.oFurthermore,otheodisputeobetweenotheopartiesoarisesooutoofoao purelyocommercialotransactionoofosaleoandopurchaseooforiceoandotheosameohaso beeno giveno ao criminalo colouro ino ordero too pressurizeo theo petitioner.o Learnedo counselohasoemphasizedothatotheonameoofotheopetitionerohasobeenofalselyoropedo intootheoinstantocaseowithoutoanyosupportingoevidenceooroproperoinvestigation.o Learnedocounselohasofurtherocontendedothatotheopetitioneroisoreadyotoojoinotheo investigationoandoshalloabideobyoanyoconditionoimposedobyothisoCourto&ohenceo noousefulopurposeowouldobeoservedobyosendingohimobehindotheobars.oMoreover,o thereoisonoolikelihoodoofotheopetitioneroabscondingofromotheoprocessoofojusticeoino caseoheoisoenlargedoonopre-arrestobail.ooOnotheostrengthoofotheseosubmissions,otheo grantoofoinstantopetitionoisoentreatedofor.oo

4.o o Referringo too replyo byo wayo ofo ano affidavito datedo 31.03.2026o ofo Randhiro Singh,o HPS,o DSPo Pehowa,o Kurukshetra,o learnedo Stateo counselo haso vehementlyoopposedotheograntoofoanticipatoryobailobyoarguingothatotheopetitionero hasobeenospecificallyonamedoinotheoFIR.oTheorelevantopartoofotheosaidoreplyoreadso thus:o o "9.o Thatotheoallegationsoagainstotheopetitioneroareospecific,ograveoandoofo aoseriousonature.oTheopetitioner/oaccusedoisobyonameoaccusedoofopresento caseoandoheoisoattributedoanoactiveoroleoinoreceivingolargeosumsoofomoneyo fromo theo complainant,o participatingo ino theo inducemento relatingo too theo allegedo lando transaction,o ando ino theo subsequento actso ofo intimidation,o confinemento ando extortion.o Theo accusationo pertainso noto onlyo too ao substantialo economico fraudo ofo Rs.2,99,00,000/-,o buto alsoo too allegationso cannotoatothisostage,obeobrushedoasideoasoimplausibleomerelyobecauseotheo paymentsoareoallegedotoohaveobeenomadeoinocash.oDuringoinvestigationoofo presentocaseonoticesowereoservedouponotheopetitioner/oaccusedoforojoiningo theoinvestigationoofopresentocaseobutopetitioner/oaccusedohasofailedotoojoino theoinvestigationoofopresentocaseotillodateoandohasofiledotheopresentopetitiono beforeothisoHon'bleoCourtoafteroaogapoofofouroyears,ohenceopetitionoofotheo petitioner/oaccusedoisoliableotoobeodismissed.oTheocustodialointerrogationoofo petitioner/o accusedo iso requiredo ino theo presento caseo too completeo theo investigationoofopresentocaseoinofairomanner.oInocaseotheopetitioner/oaccusedo isoreleasedoonobailoinothatocaseoheomayoabscondofromotheolearnedoTrialo Courtooromayothreatotheoprosecutionowitnessesoandoalsoonotocooperateotheo investigatingo agency,o henceo petitioner/o accusedo iso noto entitledo foro anyo reliefoasoclaimedoinotheopresentopetition.oHowever,otheoco-accusedoDilbagho o o o o CRM-M-15032-2026oo o o o 4o o SinghoalsoodisclosedothatohisofriendoNitinoSharmaoshowedoPalioRamolando nearotheoYamunanagarotolloplaza.oNitinoSharmaoaliasoNarendraoSharmao knowsotheopersonowhoseolandowasoshown,ohenceopetitionerohasocommittedo crimeo ofo seriouso nature.o Theo amounto receivedo theo accusedo personso mentionedobelowoforokindoperusaloofothisoHon'bleoCourt.o o o Theo petitioner/o accusedo receivedo Rs.1,27,00,000/-oasodisclosedobyoco-totalo amounto ino caseo fromo accusedoDilbaghoSinghoo complainanto Theoco-accusedoDilbaghoSinghohaso Rs.1,27,00,000/-o receivedo totalo amounto fromo theo o complainantoasodisclosedobyohim.o o Theoco-accusedoRajbiroreceivedototalo Rs.45,00,000/-o amountofromocomplainantoinocasho o o o o Theo petitioner/o accusedo ando othero co-accusedo haso receivedo ano amountoofoRs.2,99,00,000/-ofromotheocomplainantoofopresentocaseoinocasho andocommittedotheopresentocrime"o o o o Raisingosubmissionsoinotandemowithotheoaforesaidoreply,olearnedo Stateocounselohasoiteratedothatotheopetitioneroalongwithoco-accusedohasoinducedo theo complainanto too parto witho largeo sumso ofo moneyo ono theo falseo pretexto ofo supplyingoriceoandosubsequentlyoinotheonameoofofacilitatingolandotransactions.oo LearnedoStateocounselohasopointedooutothatoduringotheocourseoofoinvestigation,oito haso surfacedo thato theo petitionero haso receivedo ao significanto amounto fromo theo complainant.oFurthermore,oallegationsodiscloseoaowell-plannedomodusooperandio ofocheating.oFurthermore,ooneomoreoFIRoofosimilaronatureohasobeenoregisteredo againstotheopetitionerowhichoprimaofacieoshowsothatotheopetitioneroisoaohabitualo offendero ando haso beeno involvedo ino similaro transactionso witho othero traders.oo LearnedoStateocounselohasoemphasizedothatotheocustodialointerrogationoofotheo petitionero iso requiredo too uneartho theo completeo chaino ofo events,o too traceo theo moneyo trail,o too identifyo theo roleo ofo othero associateso aso alsoo too recovero theo cheatedoamount.oHeohasofurtheroemphasizedothatoreleasingotheopetitioneroonobailo atothisocrucialostageomayohamperotheoongoingoinvestigationoandopotentiallyoleado tootamperingowithoevidenceooroinfluencingoofowitnesses.oAccordingly,oaoprayero o o o o CRM-M-15032-2026oo o o o 5o o hasobeenomadeoforotheodismissaloofotheoinstantopetitionoinoorderotoofacilitateo effectiveoinvestigationointootheoallegedooffence.oo

5.o o Iohaveoheardotheolearnedocounseloforotheorivalopartiesoandohaveo goneothroughotheoavailableorecordoofotheocase.oo

6.o o Indubitably,o seriouso allegationso haveo beeno levelledo againsto theo petitioneroinotheoFIRoinoquestion.oAsoperotheomaterialocollectedoduringotheocourseo ofoinvestigation,otheopetitionerohasobeenospecificallyonamedoinotheoFIRoandoiso statedotoohaveobeenopresentowhenotheocomplainantowasocalledotooMohalioando introducedo too theo othero accusedo persons.o Furthermore,o theo petitionero waso involvedonotoonlyoinotheoinitialotransactionoregardingotheosupplyooforiceobutoalsoo inotheolaterostageorelatingotootheoallegedolandotransactionso&oinotheosubsequento actso ofo intimidation,o confinemento ando extortion.o Theo primaryo contentiono ofo learnedocounseloforotheopetitioneroisothatotheodisputeoisoofoaociviloandocommercialo inonatureoarisingooutoofoaobusinessotransaction.oHowever,oatothisostage,osuchoao pleaocannotobeoacceptedoinoviewoofotheospecificoallegationsoinotheoFIRoandotheo involvementoofotheopetitioneroatoimportantostagesocannotobeoignored.ooInotheo consideredo opiniono ofo thiso Court,o whethero theo petitionero actuallyo receivedo moneyooronotoandotoowhatoextentoheohasobeenoinvolved,oisoaomatterothatocanoonlyo beoexaminedoduringotheocourseoofoinvestigation.oTheoexactoroleoofotheopetitionero ando theo extento ofo hiso involvemento areo matterso whicho requireo furthero investigation.oo

8.oo o Thereo iso yeto anothero featureo nayo seminalo aspecto ofo theo mattero whichocravesoattentionoofothisoCourt.oo

8.1.oo o Thiso Courto findso ito incumbento too addresso ao faceto ofo profoundo jurisprudentialosignificanceoconcerningoapplicationsoforoanticipatoryobailoundero Sectiono482oofoBNSo(erstwhileoSectiono438oofoCr.P.C.,o1973).oAnticipatoryobail,o o o o o CRM-M-15032-2026oo o o o 6o o beingoanoextraordinaryoandodiscretionaryoremedy,ooperatesoasoaoconstitutionalo safeguardo ofo personalo liberty,o primarilyo designedo too shieldo ao law-abidingo individualofromotheoignominyoofounwarrantedopre-trialoarrest.oItoisoaobeneficialo provisiono intendedo too preserveo freedomo againsto genuineo apprehensiono ofo arbitraryorestraint,oandonototooofferosanctuaryotoothoseowhooexhibitoaocavaliero disregardo foro theo investigativeo processo oro theo authorityo ofo law.o Whileo theo statutoryo frameworko doeso noto prescribeo anyo rigido oro inflexibleo timelineo foro invokingosuchoextraordinaryojurisdiction,oanoinordinateoandounexplainedodelayo ino approachingo theo Courto inevitablyo inviteso closero judicialo scrutiny.o Sucho ao hiatus,oinotheoabsenceoofoanyoplausibleoorocogentoexplanation,omay,oinocertaino circumstances,otranslateointooanoimpliedoindicationoofodeliberateoevasionoofotheo processoofolaw,oborderingouponoabscondence.oTooextendotheoprotectiveoumbrellao ofoanticipatoryobailotooanoaccusedowho,obyohisoownovolition,ohasochosenotoodelayo hisosubmissionotootheodueoprocessoofolaw,owouldonotoonlyodefeatotheoveryoobjecto ofotheoprovision,obutomayoalsooamountotootacitlyocondoningoaodefiantoconducto againstotheolegaloprocess.oSuchounexplainedoandoprotractedodelay,oshroudedoino ambiguity,o compelso thiso Courto too exerciseo itso discretiono witho greatero circumspection,oandoinoappropriateocases,otoodeclineotheoextraordinaryoreliefoofo anticipatoryobailotooanoapplicantowhoseoconductoreflectsoaolackoofobonaofidesooroao strategicoattemptotooevadeotheoinvestigation.oTheoportalsoofojustice,othoughoopeno tooall,ocannotobeopermittedotoobeousedoasoaorefugeobyothoseoseekingotoomanipulateo proceduralotimelinesoforoulterioromotives.oAsotheosettledomaximogoes,ojusoexo injuriaononooritur―aorightocannotoariseofromoaowrong.oo

8.2o o Whileo thiso Courto remainso cognizanto ofo exceptionalo situations,o whereo theo implicationo ofo ano accusedo mayo surfaceo belatedlyo oro dueo too circumstancesobeyondohisocontrol,otherebyooccasioningoaobonaofideodelayoino o o o o CRM-M-15032-2026oo o o o 7o o approachingotheoCourt,osuchoinstancesoareoexceptionsoandomustobeoestablishedo onorecordowithocredibleomaterial.oHowever,oinocasesowhereoanoaccused-applicanto hasoalreadyoavailedotheoremedyobeforeotheolearnedoSessionsoCourtoand,oupono refusalo ofo relief,o approacheso thiso Courto aftero ao substantialo ando unexplainedo delay,otheoburdenosquarelyoshiftsouponotheoapplicantotoofurnishoaoclear,ocogento ando convincingo explanationo foro sucho delay.o Ino theo absenceo ofo anyo sucho explanation,otheoconductoofotheoapplicantomayodisentitleohimofromotheograntoofo anticipatoryobail,oasotheoequitableojurisdictionoofothisoCourtocannotobeoinvokedo byoaolitigantowhoohasofailedotooactowithodueodiligenceoorobonaofideointent.o

8.3.oo o TheofactualomilieuoofotheocaseoinohandoreflectsothatotheoFIRoino questiono waso registeredo ono 18.03.2022,o however,o theo petitionero choseo too approachotheolearnedoSessionsoCourtobyofilingoanoapplicationoforoanticipatoryo bailo onlyo ino February,o 2026,o whicho cameo too beo dismissedo video ordero datedo

06.03.2026.oThereafter,otheopresentopetitionohasobeenofiledobeforeothisoCourtoono oro abouto 17.03.2026.o Noo explanation,o mucho lesso anyo cogento oro convincingo explanation,ohasobeenofurnishedobyotheopetitionerotoojustifyothisoinordinateodelayo ofo nearlyo fouro yearso ino invokingo theo remedyo ofo anticipatoryo bail.o Sucho unexplainedoandoprolongedohiatusoprimaofacieoreflectsoaolackoofodueodiligenceo andolendsocredenceotootheoinferenceothatotheopetitionerohadobeenoevadingotheo processoofolawoduringotheointerregnum.oErgo,otheopresentopetitionoisoliableotoobeo dismissedoonothisogroundoalone,oapartofromotheomeritsoofotheocase.o

9.o o Theo stando ofo theo Stateo beforeo thiso Courto iso thato theo custodialo interrogationoofotheopetitioneroisoindispensableoforotheopurposeoofotracingotheo moneyotrail,oascertainingotheoroleoofootheroco-accusedopersons,oandoeffectingo recoveryoofotheoallegedocheatedoamount.oItohasobeenosubmittedothatotheonatureo andogravityoofotheooffence,owhichoinvolvesodefraudingotheocomplainantoofoao o o o o CRM-M-15032-2026oo o o o 8o o substantialosumoofomoney,onecessitateoaothoroughoandoeffectiveoinvestigation,o which,o ato thiso stage,o cannoto beo conductedo ino theo absenceo ofo custodialo interrogationo ofo theo petitioner.o Moreover,o noo exceptionalo oro compellingo circumstanceohasobeenobroughtoonorecordobyotheopetitionerowhichowouldojustifyo theograntoofoanticipatoryobailoinoaocaseoofosuchoseriousonature.oItoisowellosettledo thatoinocasesoinvolvingoeconomicooffencesoandocheatingoofosubstantialoamounts,o theoCourtoisorequiredotooexerciseogreaterocautionowhileoconsideringotheograntoofo anticipatoryo bail,o aso sucho offenceso haveo far-reachingo consequenceso ando adverselyoimpactopublicoconfidenceoinotheofinancialoandocommercialosystem.o

10.o o Ino viewo ofo theo gravityo ofo theo allegations,o theo specifico roleo attributedo too theo petitionero ino theo FIRo ando theo requiremento ofo custodialo interrogationoasoalsootheofactualomatrixoofotheocaseoinohandoessentiallyoleadotoo theounequivocaloconclusionothatotheopetitionerodoesonotodeserveotheoconcessiono ofoanticipatoryobail.oItoisopertinentotoomentionohereothatotheoreliefoofoanticipatoryo bailoisoaimedoatoensuringopersonalolibertyoofoanoindividual.ooHowever,owhileo decidingoaopleaoforograntoofoanticipatoryobail,otheoCourtohasotoostrikeoaobalanceo betweeno safeguardingo individualo rightso ando protectingo societalo interest.o Theo Courtomustoalsooconsiderotheogravityoofotheooffence;otheoroleoattributedotootheo petitioner;o theo impacto ono theo Societyo ando theo needo foro fairo ando freeo investigation.oTheoreliefomustonotoundulyohamperotheorightsoofotheoinvestigatingo agencyotooconductofree,ofairoandoimpartialoinvestigation.ooAtothisostage,othereoiso noomaterialoonorecordotooholdothatoprimaofacieocaseoisonotomadeooutoagainstotheo petitioner.o Theo materialo whicho haso comeo ono recordo ando preliminaryo investigation,oappearotoobeoestablishedoaoreasonableobasisoforotheoaccusations.o Thus,oitoisonotoappropriateotoograntoanticipatoryobailotootheopetitioner,oasoitowouldo necessarilyocauseoimpedimentoinoeffectiveoinvestigation.oInoviewoofotheonatureo o o o o CRM-M-15032-2026oo o o o 9o o aso alsoo seriousnesso ofo theo allegations,o ito mayo noto beo possibleo foro theo investigatingoagencyotoounravelotheoentireotruthoifotheopetitioneroisoarmedowithoao protectiveoorder.oMoreover,oitoisotheospecificostandoofotheoStateothatotheocustodialo interrogationoisonecessaryotootakeotheoinvestigationotooitsologicaloendoandotoo concludeofairoandomeaningfuloinvestigation.oInoStateov.oAniloSharma,o(1997)o7o SCCo187o:o1997oSCCo(Cri)o1039,otheoHon'bleoSupremeoCourtoheldoasoundero:o (SCCop.o189,oparao6)o o "6.oWeofindoforceoinotheosubmissionoofoCBIothatocustodialointerrogationoiso qualitativelyomoreoelicitation-orientedothanoquestioningoaosuspectowhooiso well-ensconcedowithoaofavourableoorderounderoSectiono438oofotheoCode.oIno ao caseo likeo this,o effectiveo interrogationo ofo ao suspectedo persono iso ofo tremendousoadvantageoinodisinterringomanyousefuloinformationsoandoalsoo materialsowhichowouldohaveobeenoconcealed.oSuccessoinosuchointerrogationo wouldoeludeoifotheosuspectedopersonoknowsothatoheoisowelloprotectedoando insulatedobyoaopre-arrestobailoorderoduringotheotimeoheoisointerrogated.oVeryo oftenointerrogationoinosuchoaoconditionowouldoreduceotooaomereoritual.oTheo argumentothatotheocustodialointerrogationoisofraughtowithotheodangeroofotheo personobeingosubjectedotoothird-degreeomethodsoneedonotobeocountenanced,o for,osuchoanoargumentocanobeoadvancedobyoalloaccusedoinoallocriminalocases.o TheoCourtohasotoopresumeothatoresponsibleopoliceoofficersowouldoconducto themselvesoinoaoresponsibleomanneroandothatothoseoentrustedowithotheotasko ofodisinterringooffencesowouldonotoconductothemselvesoasooffenders."o o

11.o o Inoviewoofotheoprevenientoratiocination,oitoisoordainedothus:o

(i)o Theoinstantopetitionoisodevoidoofomeritsoandoisoherebyodismissed.o o

(ii)o Nothingosaidohereinaboveoshallobeodeemedotoobeoanoexpressiono ofoopinionouponomeritsoofotheocase/investigation.o o

(iii)o Pendingoapplication(s),oifoany,oshalloalsoostandodisposedooff.o o o o o o o o o o o o o o ooooooo o(SUMEEToGOEL)ooooooo (SUMEEToGOEL) o o o o o JUDGEo Aprilo07,o2026o Ajay/mahavirooo o Whetherospeaking/reasoned:o o Yes/Noo o Whetheroreportable:o o o Yes/Noo