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Date of
Decision: 20th May, 2015
+ CRL.M.C. 3589/2014
PRIYANKA
..... Petitioner
Through: Mr Vinay
Jaidka and Mr Ankit
Batra,
Advs.
versus
STATE & ANR
..... Respondent
Through: Ms. Ritu
Gauba, Additional Public
Prosecut
or for the State alongwith
WASI
Sushma Police Station Uttam
Nagar,
Delhi
Mr Vimal
Puggal, Adv. for
responde
nt no.2.
CORAM:
HON'BLE MS. JUSTICE SUNITA GUPTA
JUDGMENT
: SUNITA GUPTA, J.
2. The FIR in the instant case was registered on the basis of a complaint
made by the petitioner regarding commission of rape upon her by
respondent no.2 which resulted in registration of the aforesaid FIR.
7. The undisputed facts are that pursuant to the complaint made by the
petitioner FIR u/s 354/376/506 IPC was registered against respondent
no.2. The application for grant of anticipatory bail filed by respondent
no.2 was dismissed by the learned Additional Sessions Judge vide order
dated 08.10.2013 and it met the same fate before this Court when the
application for anticipatory bail was dismissed vide order dated
31.10.2013. SLP was filed by respondent no.2 and while issuing notice,
Hon'ble Supreme Court passed an interim order:-
"In the meantime, the petitioner shall not be arrested in connection with
FIR No.549/13 dated 04.10.2013 registered at P.S. Uttam Nagar, New
Delhi."
10. When the matter came up for hearing before the Hon'ble Supreme
Court on 03.07.2014, counsel for respondent no.2 made a statement
that respondent no.2 has already been granted regular bail by the
Competent Court, as such the SLP was dismissed as infructuous.
Provided also that the mere fact that an accused person may be required
for being identified by witnesses during investigation shall not be
sufficient ground for refusing to grant bail if he is otherwise entitled to
be released on bail and gives an undertaking that he shall comply with
such directions as may be given by the Court.] [Provided also that no
person shall, if the offence alleged to have been committed by him is
punishable with death, imprisonment for life, or imprisonment for seven
years or more, be released on bail by the Court under this sub-section
without giving an opportunity of hearing to the Public Prosecutor.] (2) If
it appears to such officer or Court at any stage of the investigation,
inquiry or trial, as the case may be, that there are not reasonable grounds
for believing that the accused has committed a non- bailable offence, but
that there are sufficient grounds for further inquiry into his 1 guilt the
accused shall, subject to the provisions of section 446A and pending
such inquiry, be released on bail] or at the discretion of such officer or
Court, on the execution by him of a bond without sureties for his
appearance as hereinafter provided.
(a) in order to ensure that such person shall attend in accordance with
the conditions of the bond executed under this Chapter, or
(b) in order to ensure that such person shall not commit an offence
similar to the offence of which he is accused or of the commission of
which he is suspected, or
(c) otherwise in the interests of justice.
(4) An officer or a Court releasing any person on bail under sub- section
(1) or sub- section (2), shall record in writing his or its 1 reasons or
special seasons] for so doing.
(5) Any Court which has released a person on bail under sub- section (1)
or sub- section (2), may, if it considers it necessary so to do, direct that
such person be arrested and commit him to custody.
(6) If, in any case triable by a Magistrate, the trial of a person accused of
any non- bailable offence is not concluded within a period of sixty days
from the first date fixed for taking evidence in the case, such person
shall, if he is in custody during the whole of the said period, be released
on bail to the satisfaction of the Magistrate, unless for reasons to be
recorded in writing, the Magistrate otherwise directs.
(7) If, at any time after the conclusion of the trial of a person accused of
a non- bailable offence and before judgment is delivered, the Court is of
opinion that there are reasonable grounds for believing that the accused
is not guilty of any such offence, it shall release the accused, if he is in
custody, on the execution by him of a bond without sureties for his
appearance to hear judgment delivered."
15. Adverting to the case in hand, the charge sheet was submitted
against respondent no.2 for offence u/s 354/376/506 IPC. As per sub-
section(1) of Section 376 IPC, the punishment prescribed for offence of
rape is not less than seven years which may extend to imprisonment for
life and fine. As per first schedule of the Cr.P.C, offence u/s 376 IPC is
triable by a Court of Session. As observed in Prahlad Singh(supra) even
though there is no legal bar for a Magistrate to consider an application
for grant of bail to a person who is arrested for an offence exclusively
triable by a court of Sessions yet it would be proper and appropriate that
in such a case, the Magistrate directs the accused persons to approach
the Court of Sessions for the purpose of getting the relief of bail. Even
if, the Magistrate opts to exercise the powers u/s 437 of the Code, in
such a case, he or she has to comply with the relevant provisions
incorporated in Section 437.
18. Court on its own Motion(supra) relied upon by learned counsel for
respondent no.2 has no application to the facts of the case in hand in as
much as in that case it was observed that when accused is neither
arrested by the police during investigation nor produced in custody, the
Court on appearance of such an accused call upon the accused to move a
bail application. If he does so, the Court can release him on bail as the
circumstance of his having not been arrested during investigation nor
being produced in custody is itself sufficient to entitle him to be released
on bail. This case does not help respondent no.2 in as much as according
to this judgment also when the accused appears in a non-bailable
offence before the Court and himself does not move an application for
bail, the Court should apprise him to move a bail application and then
release him on bail if the circumstances of the case so warrants. In the
instant case, the accused himself has not moved any bail application nor
the Court apprised him of his right to move a bail application but suo
moto released him on bail which could not have been done.
19. In Dolat Ram (supra), it was observed that bail once granted cannot
be cancelled in a mechanical manner without considering whether any
supervening circumstance have rendered it no longer conducive to a fair
trial to allow the accused to retain his freedom by enjoying the
concession of bail during trial. In this case, anticipatory bail was granted
to the appellants. State of Haryana filed a petition for cancellation of
anticipatory bail which was allowed. Thereafter the matter went to
Hon'ble Supreme Court. It was observed that rejection of bail in a non-
bailable case at the initial stage and the cancellation of bail so granted,
have to be considered and dealt with on different basis. Very cogent and
overwhelming circumstances are necessary for an order directing
cancellation of bail, already granted. Generally speaking the grounds for
cancellation of bail broadly (illustrative and not exhaustive) are:-
interference or attempt to interfere with the due course of administration
of justice or evasion or attempt to evade the due process of justice or
abuse of the concession granted to the accused in any manner. Bail once
granted should not cancelled in a mechanical manner. In State of U.P
through CBI v. Amarmani Tripathi, (2005) 8 SCC 21, it was observed
that in an application for cancellation of bail, conduct subsequent to
release on bail and the supervening circumstances alone are relevant.
But in an appeal against grant of bail, all aspects that were relevant u/s
439 read with Section 437 continue to be relevant.
20. In view of the fact that the orders of the learned Metropolitan
Magistrate granting bail to the accused was in violation of the
provisions. incorporated u/s 437 of the Cr.P.C., the same is set aside.
However, respondent no.2 is enjoying the benefit of bail since
26.04.2014 as such, while allowing this petition and setting aside the
order impugned, respondent no.2 is permitted to apply for regular bail in
the Sessions Court where the case has been committed for trial within a
week. If any such application is filed, the same shall be disposed of on
its own merits, failing which learned Additional Sessions Judge who is
seized of the matter is directed to take him in custody. The petition is
accordingly disposed of.
Order dasti.