Holding

A bail order granted without reasons, especially after earlier rejections, is invalid as it reflects non‑application of mind and must be set aside.

Summary

The Supreme Court examined an appeal against a Patna High Court order that granted bail to two accused convicted of murder (IPC s.302) and illegal possession of arms (Arms Act s.27) without providing any reasons. The High Court had earlier rejected bail applications, later allowing the petitioners to renew the bail plea after six months, and then granted bail in a non‑reasoned order. The Court held that bail applications, especially for serious offences, require a reasoned order indicating the court’s prima facie satisfaction on factors such as the nature of the accusation, risk of witness tampering, and evidence. The High Court’s order was found to show a total non‑application of mind and was set aside. Consequently, the appeal was allowed and the bail application was to be reconsidered on its merits with a reasoned order.

Issues considered

Whether a High Court can grant bail to accused of a serious offence without recording reasons.
Whether the requirement of a reasoned order under CrPC s.439 applies to bail orders granted after conviction.
Whether the liberty to renew a bail petition after six months creates an entitlement to bail.

Legislation cited

Subjects

bailreasoned ordernon‑application of mindserious offenceCrPC s.439convictionappeal

Judgment

[2008] 16 S.C.R 750

A
+·
BHUVANESHWAR YADAV
v.
STATE OF BIHAR AND ORS.
(Criminal Appeal No. 1893 of 2008)

NOVEMBER 28, 2008
B
(DR; ARIJIT PASAYAT AND DR. MUKANDAKAM
SHARMA, JJ.]
~

Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 - s. 439 - Bail -
c Grant of - Reqording of reasons - Necessity for - Accused
convicted for serious offence - High Court rejected ·bail
application filed during pendency of appeal - However,
granted liberty to renew the prayer for bail after six months -
Su~sequently, bail granted on the prayer J?1ade - Correctness
D of - Held: Order of High Court granting liberty to renew the
prayer for bail though it noticed that bail was rejected earlier,
does not show that there was entitlement for bail - It shows ill

total non-,application of mind - Thus, order of High Court set ~

aside.
E
The question which arose for consideration in this
appeal was whether the High Court was justified in
granting bail to respondent no. 2 and 3 who were
convicted uls. 302 IPC. and s. 27 of the Arms Act, 1959,
by a non-reasoned order.
F ...
/

Allowing the appeal, the Court A

HELD: 1.1. The court dealing with the application for
bail is required to exercise its discretion in a judicious
manner and notas a matter of course. There is a need to
G
indicate in the order, reasons for prima facie concluding ,... •'
why bail was being granted particularly where an accused -~·

was charged of having committed a serious offence. It is
necessary for the courts dealing with application for bail
H 750
I
BHUVANESHWAR YADAV v. STATE OF BIHAR AND 751
ORS.

to consider among other circumstances, the following A
factors: (i) the nature of accusation and the s~verity of
punishment in case of 'conviction and the ·nature of
supporting evidence; (ii) reasonable apprehension of
tampering of the witness or apprehension of threat to the
complainant; (iii) prima facie satisfaction· of the Court in B
support of the charge. Any order dehors of such reasons
suffers from non-application of ·-mind. DetaUed
examination of the evidence and elaborate
documentation of the merits of the case is to be avoided
by the Court while passing orders. on bail applications. c
[Paras 8, 9 and 10] [754-H; 755-A-D]

1.2. In the instant case, the satisfaction about guilt of
the accused has been arrived at whi.le recording
conviction. The position was not different when the
application is made during pendency of an appeal after D
conviction has been recorded. The High Court noticed
that earlier the bail was rejected, but liberty was granted
to renew the prayer after six months. That does not in
any way show that there was entitlement for getting the
bail. The order of the High Court shows total non- E
application of mind and therefore, is set aside. Tl:te bail
application would be reconsidered on merits and
disposed of by a reasoned order. [Paras 11 and 14) [755-
E; 756-C-D]
F
Omar Usman Chamadia v. Abdul and Anr. JT 2004 (2)
.A
SC 176; V.D. Chaudhary v. State of Uttar Pradesh and Anr.
2005 (7) SCALE 68; Ram Govind Upadhyay v. ·sudarshan
Singh and Ors. 2002 (3) SCC 598; Puran etc. V. Rambilas
and Anr. etc. 2001 (6) SCC 338; Kalyan Chandra Sarkar v. G
Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav and Anr. JT 2004 (3) SC
442; Chaman Lal v. Sate of U.P. and Anr. JT 2004 (6) SC
540 and Anwari Begum v. Sher Mohd. 2005 (7) SCC 326,
referred to.

H
752 SUPREME COURT REPbRTS [2009] 16 S.C.R.

A
... ~ j :· :

JT. 2004. (2) $.C 176 R.~fe_n@d ttl: Para 6.

2005 (7) SCALE 6d Re'ferred fo: · .Pua '1
2002 (3) ·sec sgs Referred to. Para 1o
B
2001 (6) .sec 338 Referred t61 Pa·ra 10
JT 2004 (3) SC 442 Referft!d to1 Para 10
JT 2004 (6) SC 540 Referred to1 Para 12
c 2005 (7) sec 326 Referred to. Para 12

CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION: Criminal Appeal
No. 1893 of 2008.

D - From the Order and Judgment dated 1··4.3.2007 of the High
Court of Judicature at Patna hi Crl. Appeal No. 90 of 2004
(D.B.)

, Akhilesh Kumar Pandey for the Appellant.

E Ma_nish Kumar and Gopal Singh for the Respondent.
' .
The Judgment of the Court was delivered by

b'R. ARIJIT PASAVAT, J: 1. Leave granted.
F 2. Challenge in this a'ppeal is to the order pas'se·d by a
Division Bench of the Patna High Court granting bail to'
Respondents 2 and 3 who were convicted for offence
- punishable under secticm 302.of the lndia'nPehal Code, 1860 ·
(in short the 'IPC') and under Section 27 of the Arms Aet, 1959
G (in short the ;Arms Act'). Two other persons namely, Nirmal
Singh arid Shiv Jana·m Singh were also convicted in terms of
Section 302 read with s'ecti6'n 34 IPC. Four other accused
persons were acquitted bythe Trial Court. Respondents2 and
3 filed Criminal Appeal No. 90 of 2004 before the Patna High
-1
· BHUVANESHWAR YADAV v. STATE OF BIHA~ANO 753
~

f
ORS. [DR. ARIJIT PASAYAT, J.]
>·-f- Court in which the present appellant, the informant has also A
appeared. Though prayers for bail were earlier made during
the pendency of the appeal; they were rejected on 23.3;2004
and 24.8.2006. However, liberty was granted in the latter case
to renew the prayer for bail after six months. It was again made
on 14.3.2007 which has been allowed by the impugned order. a
'
• 3. According to the appellant, the impugned order of the
'1
High Court shows a total non application of mind. No reason
has been indicated as to why the prayer for bail was accepted
after same was rejected on two earlier occasions, when there
~ was no change in circumstances.
c
I
,. 4. Learned counsel for the respondent-State supported the
stand of the appellant.

5. There is no appearance on behalf of Respondents 2 D
and 3 in spite of service of notice.
'
j
. 6. At this juncture, it would be appropriate to take note of
-+ a decision of this Court in Omar Usman Chamadia v. Abdul
and Anr. (JT 2004 (2) SC 176). In para 10, it w~s observed as
follows: E

"However, before concluding, we must advert to another
· aspect of this case which has caused some concern to us.
In the recent past, we had several occasions to notice that
..
'
the High Courts by recording the concessions shown by F
the counsel in the criminal proceedings refrain from
-~
assigning any reason even in orders by which it reverses
the orders of the lower courts. In our opinion, this is not
proper if such orders are appealable, be it on the ground
of concession shown by learned counsel appearing for the G
parties or on the ground that assigning of elaborate
~ reasons might prejudice the future trial before the lower
!·
courts. The High Court should not, unless for very good
reasons desist from indicating the grounds on which their
orders are based because when the matters are brought
\ H
754 ·SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2008) 16 S.C.R.
~
A up in appeal, the court of appeal has every reason to know
1-"'
the basis on which the impugned order hars·been made. It ~

m·ay be that Whil·e concurring with the lower.court's order,
· · it may not'·be ·necessary for·the said appellate court to
.assign reasons but that is not so while .reversing such .
....
B orders of the lower courts; It may be convenient,for the said · /-.
court to pass orders without indicating the grounds or basis I
but it ce~ainly is nof convenient for the court of appeal while .(

considering the correctness of such impugned orders. the
Jt"' \.
reasons need not be ve.ry detailed or elaborate, lest it may r

c cause prejudice tq the case of the parties, but must be
r-
sufficiently indicative of the process of reasoning leading i-
to the passing of the impugned order. The need for
delivering a reasoned order is a requir:ement of law which J
has to be complied with in all appealable orders. This Court
in a somewhat similar. situation has deprecated the ~
D
practice of non-speaking orders in the case of State of
~
Punjab and Ors. v. Jagdev Singh Talwandi (AIR 1984 SC
444)". . ):::
r-
7. These aspects were recently highlighted in V.D. * I-
E Chaudhary v. State of Uttar Pradesh and Anr. (2005 (7) I-
~
SCALE 68). ~

. 8.. Even on a cursory perusal, the High Ccurt's order shows ~
completenon-application of mind. Though detailed examination
F of the evidence and·. elaborate documentation of the merits of ~
~
the case is to be avoided by the Court while passing orders .:.
on bail applications, yet a court dealing with the bail application )._

should be satisfied as to whether there is a prima facie case, I=
but exhaustive exploration of the merits of the case is not
necessary. The court dealing with the application for bail is ...
G
required to exercise its discretion in a judicious manner and
not as a matter of course. >--
,...
.,
9. There is a need 'to indicate in the order, reasons for
prima facie concludingwhy bail was being granted particularly
H" ,.
l
BHUVANESHWAR YADAV v. STATE OF BIHAR AND 755
ORS. [DR. ARIJIT PASAYAT, J.]
l'-1 where an accused was charged of having committed a serious A
offence. It is necessary for the courts dealing with application
'- for bail to consider among other circumstances, the following
factors also before granting bail, they are:

1. The nature of accusation and the severity of punishment
B
in case of conviction and the nature of supporting
• -evidence;
'f
2. Reasonable apprehension of tampering of the witness
or apprehension of threat to the complainant;
c
3. Prima facie satisfaction of the Court in support of the
charge.

10. Any order dehors of such reasons suffers from non-
application of mind as was noted by this Court, in Ram Govind
Upadhyay v. Sudarshan Singh and Ors. [(2002) 3 SCC 598], D
Puran etc. v. Rambilas and Anr.' etc. [(2001) 6 SCC 338)] and
• ~
in Kalyan Chandra Sarkar v. Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu
Yadav & Anr. [JT 2004 (3) SC 442].

11. The position is not different when the application is E
made during pendency of an appeal after conviction has been
recorded. The satisfaction about guilt of the accused has been
arrived at while recording conviction.

12. The above position was highlighted by this Court in
,.,' ..
F
Chaman Lal v. Sate of U.P. and Anr. (JT 2004 (6) SC 540)
"- and Anwari Begum v. Sher Mohd. (2005 (7) SCC 326)

13. The order impugned in the present appeal reads as
follows:
G
"Heard learned counsel for the appellants, State and
.....
~
the informant.

It appears that by order dated 24.8.2006 the prayer
for bail of the appellants was rejected with liberty to renew
H
,.
'

756 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2008] 16 S.C.R.
,__

A after six months. -+--"

In view of above, let appellants, Lallu Singh and
Dhanu Singh be released on bail during the pendency of ·-·I
the appeal on furnishing bail bond of Rs.10,000/- each with
.two sureties of the like amount each to the satisfaction of
B !
the trial Court i.e. 1st Additional Sessions Judge, Ara, I'.

Bhojpur in S.Tr. No. 32 of 2001 :" •
14. The High Court noticed that earlier ttie bail was
,. t

rejected, but liberty was granted to renew the prayer after six
lI•
;

l
C months. That. does not in any way show that there was
entitlement for getting the bail. The impugned order of the High
:
Court shows total non application of mind. and is therefore set '
aside. The appeal is aJlowed. The bail application shall be i
reconsidered on merits and shall be disposed of by a
D reasoned order. If the respondents have been released on bail,
they shall surrender to custody forthwith.

N.J. Appeal allowed. . \

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