Created byFuzzy Cloud

Supreme Court of India

AJWARversusWASEEM AND ANOTHER R1: WASEEM R2: STATE OF UTTAR PRADESH

Citation
2025 INSC 968
Decided
29 July 2025
Disposal
Appeal(s) allowed

Holding

The Supreme Court held that the High Court erred in granting bail without proper consideration of the earlier Supreme Court judgment and without sufficient new circumstances, and therefore set aside the bail order.

Summary

The appellant Ajwar filed a criminal appeal challenging a bail order granted by the Allahabad High Court to respondent No.1, Waseem, who had been repeatedly granted and then cancelled bail by the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court had earlier cancelled the bail on two occasions, directing that any future bail could be sought only upon the emergence of new circumstances. Waseem applied for fresh bail, claiming new circumstances such as prolonged custody, trial delays, and parity with co‑accused who were on bail. The High Court granted bail, relying on overcrowding in jails and alleged one‑sided police investigation, without adequately addressing whether the new circumstances met the Supreme Court’s criteria. The Supreme Court held that the High Court erred by not giving due deference to its earlier judgments and by failing to provide cogent reasoning on the alleged new circumstances. Consequently, the Supreme Court set aside the bail order, directed the respondent to surrender to the trial court, and ordered the trial to be expedited. The appeal was allowed.

Issues considered

  • Whether the High Court correctly exercised its discretion in granting bail to the accused despite the Supreme Court’s earlier cancellation and the requirement of "new circumstances".
  • Whether the High Court’s reasoning, including reliance on jail overcrowding and alleged one‑sided investigation, was sufficient to justify bail.
  • Whether the bail granted to the accused should be set aside in view of the Supreme Court’s earlier judgments and the nature of the offences.

Legislation cited

Headnote

Issue for Consideration Issue arose as regards the correctness of the impugned order passed by the High Court granting bail to respondent no.1-accused. Headnotes† Bail – Cancellation of Bail – Supreme Court cancelled the bail of respondents-accused granted by the High Court to move for bail afresh in event of any new circumstances emerging at a later stage – Earlier also the High Court had granted bail and in appeal thereagainst this Court had remanded back the matter – In terms with the order passed by the Supreme Court, the respondent no. 1 applied

Subjects

BailCancellation of BailNew circumstances emerging at a later stageLimited window open in futuroOne sided investigation by policeIgnoring the case of accused sideOver-burdened docketJustification for formulaic justiceOvercrowding in jailsCustodyEnlarged on bailConclusion of the trialGround to allow bailFormulaic Justice

Judgment

          [2025] 7 S.C.R. 2062 : 2025 INSC 968

                           Ajwar
                              v.
                   Waseem and Another
                        R1: Waseem
                 R2: State of Uttar Pradesh
              (Criminal Appeal No. 3232 of 2025)
                           29 July 2025
   [Ahsanuddin Amanullah and S.V.N. Bhatti, JJ.]


                     Issue for Consideration
Issue arose as regards the correctness of the impugned order
passed by the High Court granting bail to respondent no.1-accused.

                            Headnotes†
Bail – Cancellation of Bail – Supreme Court cancelled the
bail of respondents-accused granted by the High Court and
granted a window to move for bail afresh in event of any new
circumstances emerging at a later stage – Earlier also the
High Court had granted bail and in appeal thereagainst this
Court had remanded back the matter – In terms with the order
passed by the Supreme Court, the respondent no. 1 applied
for bail afresh – Trial Court rejected the same, however, the
High Court granted bail – Interference with:
Held: Scheme of the Constitution mandates that all Orders/
Judgments of this Court have to be given due deference to by all
other Courts, including the High Courts, in letter and in spirit – Both
the earlier Orders/Judgments cancelling bail to respondent no.1
would leave no doubt that this Court examined all material aspects –
Ultimately, this Court concluded that, in the circumstances, grant
of bail was unjustified, both on facts and in law, while keeping a
limited window open in futuro, which assumes significance yet was
not properly appreciated by the High Court – Considerations which
have weighed with the Single Judge while penning the impugned
order are disturbing – Observations such as ‘one sided investigation
by police’ and ‘ignoring the case of accused side’ besides being
thoroughly unwarranted, had absolutely no nexus with the prayer
for bail which the Single Judge was seized of – Given the heinous
nature of the alleged offences, it was not open to the High Court
[2025] 7 S.C.R.                                                              2063

                      Ajwar v. Waseem and Another


     to make overcrowding in jails’ as a ground to allow bail – Further,
     the impugned order notes certain facts but does not really offer
     insight into the actual view of the High Court thereon or on the ‘new
     circumstances’ sought to be put forth by respondent no.1 – Moreover,
     the impugned order omitted to consider the detailed judgment passed
     by this Court to cull out whether ‘new circumstances’ had emerged
     to enlarge respondent no.1 on bail – Over-burdened docket is no
     justification for formulaic justice – High Court fell in error and has
     consequently offered up the impugned order for interdiction – When
     this Court had, while cancelling and/or setting aside bail granted on
     two previous occasions, examined all relevant aspects in extenso,
     it was incumbent upon the High Court to provide comprehensive
     reasoning, moreso, in light of this Court’s observation of future
     consideration of bail ‘at a later stage’ – Impugned order quashed –
     Bail granted to respondent no.1 set aside – Respondent no.1 to
     remain in custody and not be enlarged on bail till the conclusion
     of the trial – Penal Code, 1860 – ss.147, 148, 149, 352, 302, 307,
     504 and 34. [Paras 13, 16, 18, 20]

                              Case Law Cited
     Ajwar v. Waseem (2024) 10 SCC 787; Manik Madhukar Sarve v.
     Vitthal Damuji Meher [2024] 8 SCR 753 : (2024) 10 SCC 753;
     Shabeen Ahmad v. State of Uttar Pradesh [2025] 3 SCR 367 :
     (2025) 4 SCC 172; State of Rajasthan v. Indraj Singh, 2025 SCC
     OnLine SC 518; Victim ‘X’ v. State of Bihar, 2025 SCC OnLine
     SC 1490; Ajwar v. Niyaj Ahmad [2022] 7 SCR 356 : 2022 SCC
     OnLine SC 1403; Niranjan Singh v. Prabhakar Rajaram Kharote
     [1980] 3 SCR 15 : (1980) 2 SCC 559; Vilas Pandurang Pawar v.
     State of Maharashtra [2012] 8 SCR 270 : (2012) 8 SCC 795;
     Atulbhai Vithalbhai Bhanderi v. State of Gujarat [2023] 4 SCR 239 :
     (2023) 17 SCC 521; Manoj Kumar Khokhar v. State of Rajasthan
     (2022) 3 SCC 501; Ajwar v. Waseem [2024] 5 SCR 575 : (2024)
     10 SCC 768 – referred to.
     Waseem v. State of Uttar Pradesh, 2022 SCC OnLine All 1518;
     Waseem v. State of Uttar Pradesh, 2022 SCC OnLine All
     1510 – referred to.

                                 List of Acts
     Penal Code, 1860; Constitution of India.
2064                                                            [2025] 7 S.C.R.

                          Supreme Court Reports


                              List of Keywords
     Bail; Cancellation of Bail; New circumstances emerging at a later
     stage; Limited window open in futuro; One sided investigation by
     police; Ignoring the case of accused side; Over-burdened docket;
     Justification for formulaic justice’; Overcrowding in jails; At a later
     stage; Custody; Enlarged on bail; Conclusion of the trial; Ground
     to allow bail; Formulaic Justice.

                             Case Arising From
     CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION: Criminal Appeal No.
     3232 of 2025
     From the Judgment and Order dated 03.06.2025 of the High Court
     of Judicature at Allahabad in CRMBA No. 10572 of 2025

                          Appearances for Parties

     Advs. for the Appellant:
     Md. Anas Chaudhary, Ms. Alia Bano Zaidi, Ansar Ahmad Chaudhary.
     Advs. for the Respondents:
     Shikil Shiv Suri, Sr. Adv., M. Z. Chaudhary, Tabarq Hussain, Aftab
     Ali Khan, Vishal Arun Mishra.

                Judgment / Order of the Supreme Court

                                    Order

     Heard learned counsel/senior counsel for the parties.

2.   I.A. No.156017/2025 seeking permission to file the Special
     Leave Petition is allowed. I.A. Nos.156019/2025, 156023/2025,
     167425/2025, 176616/2025 and 176617/2025 be treated as having
     been formally allowed.
3.   Leave granted.

     FACTUAL PRISM:
4.   The present appeal arises from the Impugned Order dated 03.06.2025
     in Criminal Misc. Bail Application No.10572/2025 [2025:AHC:94655]
     passed by a learned Single Judge of the High Court of Judicature
     at Allahabad granting bail to respondent no.1-accused.
[2025] 7 S.C.R.                                                       2065

                     Ajwar v. Waseem and Another


5.   A few basic facts are to be noted before this Court examines the
     merits.
6.   Respondent no.1 is an accused in a case filed by the appellant-
     informant under Sections 147, 148, 149, 352, 302, 307, 504 and
     34 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860. Initially, when bail was granted
     to respondent no.1 by the High Court on 22.08.2022 [Waseem v
     State of Uttar Pradesh, 2022 SCC OnLine All 1518], the appellant
     moved before this Court in Criminal Appeal No.1784/2022, in which
     the Order granting bail was interfered with by this Court vide Order
     dated 14.10.2022 [Ajwar v Waseem, (2024) 10 SCC 787] and the
     matter was remanded to the High Court. This led to the second round
     and respondent no.1 pursued his prayer for bail in the High Court.
     The High Court vide Order dated 07.12.2022 [Waseem v State of
     Uttar Pradesh, 2022 SCC OnLine All 1510] once again granted
     bail to respondent no.1. Once more, the appellant moved this Court
     seeking cancellation of bail, which was allowed vide Judgment dated
     17.05.2024 [Ajwar v Waseem, (2024) 10 SCC 768] (hereinafter
     referred to as the ‘Judgment dated 17.05.2024’). The Judgment
     dated 17.05.2024 dealt with all the connected cases, and therein,
     while interfering with the bail granted to respondent no.1 and the
     others, this Court granted a window to the respondents-accused to
     move for bail afresh, observing:
           ‘35. … It is also clarified that in the event of any new
           circumstances emerging, the respondents shall be entitled
           to apply for bail at a later stage.’
7.   This observation led respondent no.1 to apply for bail afresh before
     the learned Trial Court, which was rejected on 20.01.2025. He then
     moved the High Court in April, 2025, and by way of the Impugned
     Order, bail was granted.

     APPELLANT’S SUBMISSIONS:
8.   Learned counsel for the appellant submitted that the Impugned
     Order not only suffers from material irregularities but also violates
     the tenor and spirit of the Judgment of this Court by which the bail
     granted to respondent no.1 was cancelled. It was submitted that the
     Court, while cancelling the bail of respondent no.1, had dealt with
     each and every aspect of the matter on merits and, for all practical
     purposes, on the day of such cancellation, whatever ground which
2066                                                        [2025] 7 S.C.R.

                         Supreme Court Reports


     may have been available to respondent no.1 was closed and the
     ‘new circumstances emerging’ could only be prospective in nature.
     It was submitted that the Trial Court, thus, had correctly appreciated
     the position and rejected the prayer for bail; whereas, the High Court
     has approached the matter in a manner which would reveal that the
     High Court thought that it was considering the application for bail for
     the first time and delved into all those aspects which had already
     been dealt with at the time of cancellation of bail by this Court. It
     was submitted that the so-called ground before the High Court, as
     noted in the Impugned Order, is the period of custody and the fact
     that some similarly-situated accused had been granted bail by the
     High Court.
9.   It was contended that having moved earlier before this Court, the
     appellant succeeded, and Judgment dated 17.05.2024 was final on
     all aspects/grounds available to the respondent no.1 on such date.
     Learned counsel submitted that, when the High Court had granted bail
     earlier, respondent no.1 misused the privilege and committed various
     criminal acts, including intimidation and assault on the witnesses, for
     which a First Information Report was also lodged. It was contended
     that respondent no.1, additionally, has criminal antecedent(s), and
     most importantly, the trial was already in progress and was advancing
     at a relatively good pace. Further, whatever delay was being caused
     in trial, the same was on account of non-cooperation from the side
     of the accused, and such being the position, interference and grant
     of bail by the High Court was not proper, and the normal course
     ought to have been a direction to the Trial Court to conclude the
     trial expeditiously. Learned counsel submitted that respondent no.1
     is enjoying the privilege of bail without being entitled to the same.
     Further, parity cannot be the sole ground in view of the background
     that this Court, not once, but twice, after going into the finer details
     on merits with regard to whether respondent no.1 deserved bail,
     had concluded that the same was not justified and interfered with
     the findings of the High Court, being conscious of all factors as of
     17.05.2024. It was urged that the appeal be allowed.

     RESPONDENT NO.1’S SUBMISSIONS:
10. Notice to respondent no.1 was not formally issued on the last occasion
    (21.07.2025) as learned Advocate-on-Record appeared on his behalf.
    On prayer made seeking time to bring on record testimonies of the
[2025] 7 S.C.R.                                                       2067

                      Ajwar v. Waseem and Another


     witnesses examined, the matter was adjourned at his request and
     has been taken up for final hearing today.
11. Learned senior counsel for respondent no.1 submitted that the
    Court may take into consideration the parameters which are now
    well-established and laid down by various judicial pronouncements,
    requiring a substantive ground for cancellation of bail to be
    established, once bail has been granted. It was contended that the
    basic principle for cancellation of bail is whether the person who is
    enlarged on bail had abused such indulgence/privilege and/or violated
    the terms of grant of bail, which, in the present case has not been
    done. Further, neither the trial is being hampered due to the grant of
    bail to respondent no.1 nor has he indulged in any criminal activity,
    as there has not been such allegation or case registered against him
    in this regard. It was submitted that respondent no.1, if not having
    a better case than the other co-accused whose bail was upheld by
    this Court, is at least similarly-situated to them. It was submitted that
    the Court may take a lenient view in the larger public interest, for, at
    the end of the day, if respondent no.1 is acquitted, the period spent
    behind bars by him cannot be returned.
12. Learned senior counsel tried, with eloquence, to persuade this
    Court not to be swayed by the general impression sought to be
    created by the learned counsel for the appellant with regard to the
    Judgment dated 17.05.2024 by this Court cancelling the bail granted
    to respondent no.1, because the matter relates to the personal
    liberty of an individual. Learned senior counsel emphasised that
    this Court may go by the substantive reasons recorded by the High
    Court while granting bail. It was submitted that a counter-case has
    also been filed by the accused in the present case for the same
    incident. Moreover, it was submitted that there have been injuries on
    the side of the accused, but surprisingly, the concerned agencies,
    including the police, have not shown due diligence in pursuing the
    matter, which has caused serious threat to the life and security of
    respondent no.1 and the other co-accused. It was submitted that
    they are being harassed and pursued in such a manner, where the
    ordinary and justified indulgence given by the High Court, is being
    portrayed as a grave transgression and challenged so vehemently
    by the appellant, with a malafide intention, so as to prejudice this
    Court against adopting a dispassionate view based on objective
    circumstances, which are borne out from the case records. It was
2068                                                        [2025] 7 S.C.R.

                         Supreme Court Reports


     submitted that even apropos the allegation of dilatory tactics and
     of non-cooperation, the Orders of the Trial Court, which have been
     brought on record, themselves disclose that it was not respondent
     no.1, but rather the other co-accused who may have, at some point in
     time, sought adjournments in the year 2023 and not thereafter. Thus,
     the same should not be held as a circumstance against respondent
     no.1. It was prayed that the appeal deserved dismissal at our hands.

     ANALYSIS, REASONING AND CONCLUSION:
13. Upon taking into account the entirety of the case, we may candidly
    state that the Impugned Order requires intercession. The scheme of
    the Constitution mandates that all Orders/Judgments of this Court
    have to be given due deference to by all other Courts, including
    the High Courts, in letter and in spirit. In the present case, both the
    earlier Order(s)/Judgment(s) cancelling bail to respondent no.1 would
    leave no doubt that this Court examined all material aspects which
    the parties have argued today, especially in the Judgment dated
    17.05.2024. Ultimately, this Court vide Judgment dated 17.05.2024
    concluded that, in the circumstances, grant of bail was unjustified,
    both on facts and in law, while keeping a limited window open in
    futuro, as noted supra. Therefore, the Judgment dated 17.05.2024
    assumes significance yet was not properly appreciated by the High
    Court.
14. We are required to dwell upon the manner and trajectory of the
    respondent no.1’s quest for bail. After rejection of the bail application
    by the Trial Court’s Order dated 20.01.2025, respondent no.1
    knocked the doors of the High Court in April, 2025. The Judgment
    dated 17.05.2024 had indicated that ‘… in the event of any new
    circumstances emerging, the respondents shall be entitled to apply
    for bail at a later stage.’ Before the High Court, respondent no.1
    projected the ‘new circumstances’ at Paragraph 4:
          ‘(i) At present, the applicant’s total custody in the crime
          in question is 3 years and 2 months, 15 days and four
          prosecution witnesses of fact, i.e., PW-1, PW-2, PW-3
          and PW-4, have been examined by the prosecution and
          the evidence of PW-5 (formal witness) is being recorded.
          The prosecution has applied to the trial court that no other
          fact-witness is required to be produced by the prosecution.
[2025] 7 S.C.R.                                                            2069

                      Ajwar v. Waseem and Another


           (ii) The trial in question has been hampered again and
           again by the informant’s persistent frivolous applications
           for summoning the non-charge sheeted co-accused.
           Moreover, the informant has not only caused delay by filing
           such applications but has also caused delay in recording
           of evidence by the trial court
           (iii) The co-accused Gayyur, Kadir @ Abdul Kadir and
           Nadeem have been granted bail by this Hon’ble Court
           on their respective bail applications vide orders dated
           26.09.2023, 23.05.2023 and 23.05.2023, against which
           the informant Ajwar preferred S.L.P. (Crim) Diary Nos.
           33688 of 2024, 53548 of 2023 and 53523 of 2023 before
           the Hon’ble Supreme Court, which has been disposed of
           vide order dated 25.11.2024 and the bail orders passed
           in favour of the above noted co-accused have not been
           interfered with and the informant has been asked to
           approach Hon’ble High Court for his grivances, if any.
           (iv) The role assigned by the prosecution to the applicant
           is similar to the co-accused Gayyur, Kadir @ Abdul Kadir
           and Nadeem. Hence, the prayer of bail on behalf of the
           applicant stands on a similar footing. At present, total of
           five accused, namely, Nazim, Abubakar, Waseem, Aslam
           and Niyaz are languishing in jail.
           (v) Moreover, the investigation of cross-case, i.e., crime
           no. 0361 of 2020, has revealed certain surprising facts,
           which demolish the entire prosecution version of crime
           no. 0126 of 2020. Despite the revelation of those crucial
           facts, the respective investigating officers of crime no. 0361
           of 2020 have repeatedly filed Final Reports, which have
           been rejected by the learned court below with repeated
           point-wise directions have been issued to unearth the truth
           of the entire controversy.
           (vi) There is no likelihood of an early conclusion of the
           trial, as there are a total of 21 Prosecution witnesses
           mentioned in the charge sheet.’ (sic)
15. The Judgment dated 17.05.2024 dealt with the relevant parameters
    for granting bail and the considerations for setting aside bail orders.
2070                                                     [2025] 7 S.C.R.

                       Supreme Court Reports


    The principles holding the field, as laid out in the Judgment dated
    17.05.2024, were recently reiterated, inter alia, in Manik Madhukar
    Sarve v Vitthal Damuji Meher, (2024) 10 SCC 753; Shabeen Ahmad
    v State of Uttar Pradesh, (2025) 4 SCC 172; State of Rajasthan
    v Indraj Singh, 2025 SCC OnLine SC 518 and Victim ‘X’ v State
    of Bihar, 2025 SCC OnLine SC 1490. Let us turn our gaze now
    to the reasoning employed by the High Court while passing the
    Impugned Order:
         ‘9. After hearing rival contentions of the parties, this
         court finds that the witnesses of fact have already been
         examined. The applicant was earlier in jail from 27.05.2020
         to 25.08.2022. He was granted bail by this court but after
         cancellation of bail the applicant again surrendered and
         was in jail from 21.10.2022 to 18.12.2022. Thereafter again
         his bail was cancelled by Apex Court and he is in jail since
         31.05.2024. Although three prosecution witnesses remain
         to be examined but thereafter the defence evidence would
         be led and it will take time.
         10. Considering the totality of the facts and circumstances
         of the case, applicant deserves to be enlarged on bail.
         11. Keeping in view the nature of the offence, evidence,
         complicity of the accused; submissions of the learned
         counsel for the parties noted above; finding force in the
         submissions made by the learned counsel for the applicant;
         keeping view the uncertainty regarding conclusion of
         trial; one sided investigation by police, ignoring the
         case of accused side; applicant being under trial having
         fundamental right to speedy trial; larger mandate of the
         Article 21 of the Constitution of India and recent judgment
         dated 11.07.2022 of the Apex Court in the case of Satendra
         Kumar Antil vs. C.B.I., passed in S.L.P (Crl.) No. 5191 of
         2021 and considering 5-6 times overcrowding in jails over
         and above their capacity by the under trials 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.’
                                               (emphasis supplied)
[2025] 7 S.C.R.                                                      2071

                     Ajwar v. Waseem and Another


16. The aspect of the matter that bothers us most is the considerations
    which have weighed with the learned Single Judge while penning
    the Impugned Order. Observations such as ‘one sided investigation
    by police’ and ‘ignoring the case of accused side’ besides being
    thoroughly unwarranted, had absolutely no nexus with the prayer
    for bail which the learned Single Judge was seized of. Given the
    heinous nature of the alleged offence(s), in our considered view, it
    was not open to the High Court to make ‘5-6 times overcrowding in
    jails’ as a ground to allow bail. Further, as evincible, the Impugned
    Order notes certain facts at Paragraph 9 but Paragraph 11 does
    not really offer insight into the actual view of the High Court
    thereon or on the ‘new circumstances’ sought to be put forth by
    respondent no.1 in Paragraph 4 of the Impugned Order. Moreover,
    the Impugned Order has omitted to consider the detailed Judgment
    dated 17.05.2024 to cull out whether ‘new circumstances’ had
    emerged to enlarge respondent no.1 on bail. In this view, the
    caveat that the Impugned Order was passed ‘without expressing
    any opinion on the merits of the case’ pales into insignificance and
    is not nearly enough for us to sustain the same. No doubt, ‘an
    over-burdened docket is no justification for formulaic justice.’ [Refer
    Ajwar v Niyaj Ahmad, 2022 SCC OnLine SC 1403] The High
    Court fell in error and has consequently offered up the Impugned
    Order for interdiction.
17. We must clarify that we should not be misunderstood as having
    conveyed that bail orders should be long and lengthy, but, in the
    facts of this case, when this Court had, while cancelling and/or
    setting aside bail granted on two previous occasions, examined
    all relevant aspects in extenso, it was incumbent upon the High
    Court to provide comprehensive reasoning, moreso, in light of this
    Court’s observation of future consideration of bail ‘at a later stage.’
    What this Court has repeatedly cautioned against is to refrain from
    elaborately discussing/detailing the evidence or the view of the Court
    thereon while considering grant of bail [Niranjan Singh v Prabhakar
    Rajaram Kharote, (1980) 2 SCC 559; Vilas Pandurang Pawar v
    State of Maharashtra, (2012) 8 SCC 795, and; Atulbhai Vithalbhai
    Bhanderi v State of Gujarat, (2023) 17 SCC 521], but that does not
    obviate the bail order from offering cogent and germane reasoning,
    bearing in the mind the dicta in Manoj Kumar Khokhar v State of
    Rajasthan, (2022) 3 SCC 501.
2072                                                         [2025] 7 S.C.R.

                             Supreme Court Reports


18. Accordingly, for reasons aforesaid, this appeal stands allowed. The
    Impugned Order is quashed and bail granted to respondent no.1
    stands set aside. Respondent no.1 is directed to surrender before
    the Trial Court at the latest within three weeks from today. The
    Trial Court shall endeavour with full vigour to proceed on priority
    and conclude the trial expeditiously. Copy of this Order be also
    despatched forthwith to the concerned Registrar of the High Court
    for onward transmission to the Trial Court. Our observations herein
    are confined to the legality of the Impugned Order and shall neither
    aid the prosecution nor prejudice the accused at trial.
19. Before parting, we take note of the submission by learned senior
    counsel for respondent no.1 that the counter-case filed by the
    accused is not being followed-up by the authorities in the manner
    required. If that be so, we may only observe that it shall be open
    to the aggrieved person(s) to pursue their remedies in accordance
    with law before the appropriate forum, including the High Court. Any
    plea in this regard shall be examined by the concerned forum on
    its own merits.
20. After the Order was dictated, learned senior counsel for respondent
    no.1 prayed that liberty granted by this Court in the Judgment dated
    17.05.2024 in the context of renewing the prayer for bail be maintained.
    We find that in the current scenario, the same would be unnecessary, as
    we have been informed that the majority of the prosecution witnesses
    have already been examined. Given the chequered litigative history
    and the attendant facts, we clarify that respondent no.1 shall remain
    in custody and not be enlarged on bail till the conclusion of the trial.
    Having directed so, we are quite aware of the grave consequences
    thereof as also fully cognizant that a person should not suffer for no
    fault of his or for the fault of others. Therefore, in case, genuinely, for
    reason(s) not attributable to respondent no.1, things are not taken to
    their logical conclusion expeditiously, he shall be at liberty to approach
    this Court directly for obtaining bail.

     Result of the case: Appeal allowed.



     †
         Headnotes prepared by: Nidhi Jain


Search Indian case law

Ask in plain English, not just keywords. 25,000 AI words free, no card.

Try "Bail"Sign in to search

For a digitally signed copy suitable for filing, refer to the court's own website. Only the court can issue one.