BA Nos. 2408 & 3059 of 2022
Case Details & Bench
- Court
- High Court of Kerala
- Hon'ble Judges
- P.V. Kunhikrishnan
- Judgment Date
- 2022-05-06
- Court Decision / Holding
- The Bail Applications are allowed under Section 438 CrPC with stringent conditions. The petitioners must appear before the Investigating Officer within two weeks for interrogation. If the IO proposes arrest, the petitioners shall be released on bail on executing a bond of Rs.50,000 with two solvent sureties of equal amount. They must appear for interrogation as required, cooperate with the investigation, not induce or threaten witnesses, not leave India without jurisdictional court permission, refrain from committing similar offences, and appear before the IO on all Mondays at 10 AM until final report is filed. If any condition is violated, the jurisdictional court may cancel the bail.
- Final Disposition
- Bail granted under Section 438 CrPC with stringent conditions.
Parties to the Case
Appellants / Petitioners
- Rameez
- Najmal Nazeer
Respondents
- State of Kerala
Legal Representation & Advocates
Counsels for Petitioners
- • Anand Kalyanakrishnan
- • C. Dheera Rajan
Counsels for Respondents
- • Public Prosecutor, High Court of Kerala
- • Sri Vipin Narayan (Sr P.P)
Case Synopsis & Summary
This judgment disposes of two related bail applications filed under Section 438 CrPC in Crime No.269 of 2022 of Pavaratty Police Station. The petitioners, Rameez (BA 3059/2022) and Najmal Nazeer (BA 2408/2022), are accused of offences including non-bailable Section 452 IPC and other sections (e.g., 325 IPC). Heard together by a Single Judge, the petitions were argued with the common stand that only the non-bailable offence is Section 452 IPC and that the petitioners are willing to comply with any conditions the court may impose to secure a fair trial. The Public Prosecutor opposed bail but conceded that the sole non-bailable offence is Section 452 IPC. Relying on established bail jurisprudence, including the principle that bail is the rule and jail is the exception, and after considering the facts, the court allowed both applications with stringent conditions. The orders direct the petitioners to appear before the Investigating Officer within two weeks for interrogation; on any arrest post-interrogation, they must be released on bail on a bond of Rs.50,000 with two sureties; ensure cooperation and not influence witnesses; not leave India without permission; refrain from committing similar offences; and appear before the IO on all Mondays until final report. Violation permits cancellation of bail.
Provisions of Law Cited
Legal Doctrines & Maxims
- Bail is the rule and jail is the exception
- Personal liberty is an important aspect of our constitutional mandate
Submissions & Arguments
Contentions of Appellants / Petitioners
The petitioners argued that the only non-bailable offence is Section 452 IPC and that they are willing to comply with any conditions the Court may impose. They stressed that bail is the rule, not the exception, to safeguard the right to a fair trial and that stringent conditions can adequately address concerns about witnesses and public order.
Contentions of Respondents
The State opposed bail but conceded that only Section 452 IPC is non-bailable in the alleged offences. The prosecuting counsel contended for strict conditions and careful monitoring, arguing that arrest and investigation should proceed with due safeguards; however, no irreparable prejudice to the case was shown that would necessitate denial of bail.
Cited Precedents (3)
| Case Name | Citation | Treatment | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chidambaram. P v Directorate of Enforcement | 2019 (16) SCALE 870 | Positive | Cited to support the core principle that bail is the rule and jail is the exception, reinforcing the court’s approach to grant bail under appropriate conditions. |
| Siddharth v State of Uttar Pradesh and Another | 2021(5)KHC 353 | Positive | Cited for its discussion on personal liberty and the circumstances under which arrest may be justified, guiding the grant of bail with conditions. |
| Joginder Kumar v. State of UP and Others | 1994 KHC 189; AIR 1994 SC 1349 | Mentioned Only | Quoted within Siddharth to illustrate the distinction between power to arrest and justification for arrest; used as a supportive but non-central authority. |
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