High Court of KeralaSingle JudgeBail granted to the petitioner on terms stated ...

Dijith Surenran v. State of Kerala

Case / Petition Number:BAIL APPL. NO. 2896 OF 2024

Case Details & Bench

Court
High Court of Kerala
Hon'ble Judges
  • C.S. Dias
Judgment Date
2024-04-11
Court Decision / Holding
The petition is allowed; the petitioner is released on bail on a bond of Rs.1,00,000 with two solvent sureties of Rs.1,00,000 each, on conditions including weekly appearances before the IO, no inducement or tampering, no commission of offences while on bail, surrender of passport if any, and liberty for the IO to investigate or recover information even while on bail, as supported by Sushila Aggarwal v. State (NCT of Delhi) and another.
Final Disposition
Bail granted to the petitioner on terms stated above.

Parties to the Case

Appellants / Petitioners

  • Dijith Surenran

Respondents

  • State of Kerala represented by Public Prosecutor, High Court of Kerala
  • Station House Officer, Pudukkad Police Station, Thrissur

Legal Representation & Advocates

Counsels for Petitioners

  • • Bindumol Joseph
  • • V. Harikrishnan
  • • Riyas M.B.

Counsels for Respondents

  • • Smt. Neema T.V., Public Prosecutor

Case Synopsis & Summary

This bail petition under section 439 CrPC concerns the second accused in Crime No. 209/2024 of Pudukkad Police Station, Thrissur, alleged to have committed offences under sections 22(b) and 29 of the NDPS Act, 1985, based on recovery of 3.2 grams of MDMA. The crux of the prosecution case is that, on 25.02.2024, the first accused was found in suspicious circumstances; during a body search, 3.2 grams of MDMA were recovered, and in the confession of the first accused, the second accused was implicated. The petitioner contends innocence, false implication, and notes that he has no criminal antecedents, has been in judicial custody since 25.02.2024, and that the contraband is of intermediate quantity; the investigation is effectively complete with recovery already effected. The prosecutor counters with the ongoing nature of the investigation and the possibility of re-offending if released, but concedes the lack of prior antecedents and the intermediate quantity. After considering the material, the court recognizes the intermediate quantity, the completed investigation, and lack of antecedents, and concludes that further detention is unnecessary. The court grants bail on a bond of Rs.1,00,000 with two sureties, subject to standard conditions including weekly appearances, no inducement or tampering, non-commission of offences on bail, passport surrender, and authority for police to proceed with recoveries if needed, citing the Supreme Court’s guidance in Sushila Aggarwal v. State (NCT of Delhi). The order thereby releases the petitioner on bail.”

Provisions of Law Cited

Section 439 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973Sections 22(b) and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985

Submissions & Arguments

Contentions of Appellants / Petitioners

The petitioner argued total innocence, false implication, and highlighted that he has no criminal antecedents. He has been in judicial custody since 25.02.2024, the contraband is of intermediate quantity, and the investigation is practically complete with the recovery effected. Therefore, detention beyond this stage is unnecessary, and he seeks bail.

Contentions of Respondents

The Public Prosecutor opposed bail, citing ongoing investigation and the possibility of the accused committing similar offences if released. She acknowledged the lack of prior antecedents and the intermediate quantity of contraband but urged continued detention until the investigation is complete.

Cited Precedents (1)

Case NameCitationTreatmentExplanation
Sushila Aggarwal v. State (NCT of Delhi) and another2020 (1) KHC 663PositiveCited to justify that the Investigating Officer may continue investigation and effect recoveries even while the accused is on bail, following Supreme Court guidance.

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Extracted Judgment Text

Exact text extracted from official judgment records.

## **`IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM PRESENT`** ``` THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE C.S.DIAS ``` ``` THURSDAY, THE 11[TH] DAY OF APRIL 2024 / 22ND CHAITHRA, 1946 BAIL APPL. NO. 2896 OF 2024 ``` ``` CRIME NO.209/2024 OF Pudukkad Police Station, Thrissur ``` ## **`PETITIONER/ACCUSED:`** ``` DIJITH SURENDRAN, AGED 26 YEARS S/O. SURENDRAN PORKALANGADU HOUSE MUTTATTUKARA NETTISSERY P.O THRISSUR, PIN - 680651 BY ADVS. BINDUMOL JOSEPH V.HARIKRISHNAN RIYAS M.B. ``` ## **`RESPONDENTS/STATE/COMPLAINANT:`** ``` 1STATE OF KERALA REPRESENTED BY PUBLIC PROSECUTOR, HIGH COURT OF KERALA, PIN - 682031 2STATION HOUSE OFFICER PUDUKKAD POLICE STATION THRISSUR-, PIN - 680301 ``` ## **`OTHER PRESENT:`** ## **`SR PP SMT NEEMA T V`** ``` THIS BAIL APPLICATION HAVING COME UP FOR ADMISSION ON 11.04.2024, THE COURT ON THE SAME DAY DELIVERED THE FOLLOWING: ``` B.A.No.2896 of 2024 -:2:- ## Dated this the 11[th] day of April,2024 ## **O R D E R** The application is filed under Section 439 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, by the second accused in Crime No.209/2024 of Pudukkad Police Station, Thrissur, registered against the accused for allegedly committing the offences punishable under Sections 22(b) & 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985. The petitioner was arrested on 25.02.2024. 2. The crux of the prosecution case is that: on 25.02.2024, at around 09.30 hours, the detecting officer found the first accused in suspicious circumstances. On conducting a body search of the first accused, it was found that he was in possession of 3.2 grams of MDMA. The first accused was arrested then and there at the spot with the contraband article. In the confession made by the first accused, the second B.A.No.2896 of 2024 ## -:3:- accused was also found to be involved in the crime. Thus, the accused have committed the above offences. 3. Heard; Smt. Bindumol Joseph, the learned counsel appearing for the petitioner and Smt. Neema. T.V., the learned Public Prosecutor. 4. The learned counsel for the petitioner submitted that the petitioner is totally innocent of the accusations leveled against him. He has been falsely implicated in the crime. In any given case, the petitioner has been in judicial custody since 25.02.2024, the petitioner has no criminal antecedents, the contraband that was allegedly seized from the accused is of an intermediate quantity, the investigation in the case is practically complete, and the recovery has been effected. Therefore, the petitioner’s further detention is unnecessary. Hence, the application may be allowed. 5. The learned Public Prosecutor opposed the application. She submitted that the investigation in the B.A.No.2896 of 2024 ## -:4:- case is in progress. She also stated that if the petitioner is let off on bail, there is every likelihood of him committing similar offences. Nonetheless, she did not dispute the fact that the petitioner doesn't have any criminal antecedents and the contraband involved in the case is of an intermediate quantity. 6. After bestowing my anxious consideration to the facts, the rival submissions made across the Bar, and the materials placed on record, especially on considering the fact that the contraband allegedly seized from the accused is of an intermediate quantity, that the petitioner has no criminal antecedents, that the petitioner has been in judicial custody since 25.02.2024, that the investigation in the case is practically complete, and the recovery has been effected, I am of the view that the petitioner’s further detention is unnecessary. Hence, I hold that the petitioner is entitled to be released on bail. B.A.No.2896 of 2024 ## -:5:- In the result, the application is allowed, by directing the petitioner to be released on bail on him executing a bond for Rs.1,00,000/- (Rupees One lakh only) with two solvent sureties each for the like sum, to the satisfaction of the court having jurisdiction, which shall be subject to the following conditions: (i) The petitioner shall appear before the Investigating Officer on every Saturday between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m for a period of two months or till the final report is filed, whichever is earlier. He shall also appear before the Investigating Officer as and when required; (ii) The petitioner shall not directly or indirectly make any inducement, threat or procure to any person acquainted with the facts of the case so as to dissuade him from disclosing such facts to the court or to any Police Officer or tamper with the evidence in any manner, whatsoever; (iii) The petitioner shall not commit any offence B.A.No.2896 of 2024 -:6:- while he is on bail; (iv) The petitioner shall surrender his passport, if any, before the court below at the time of execution of the bond. If he has no passport, he shall file an affidavit to the effect before the court below on the date of execution of the bond; (v) In case of violation of any of the conditions mentioned above, the jurisdictional court shall be empowered to consider the application for cancellation of bail, if any filed, and pass orders on the same, in accordance with law. (vi) Applications for deletion/modification of the bail conditions shall be filed and entertained before the court below. (vii) Needless to mention, it would be well within the powers of the Investigating Officer to investigate the matter and, if necessary, to effect recoveries on the information, if any, given by the petitioner even while the petitioner is on bail as laid down by the Hon'ble B.A.No.2896 of 2024 -:7:- Supreme Court in **Sushila Aggarwal v. State (NCT of Delhi) and another [2020 (1) KHC 663]** . Sd/- **C.S.DIAS,JUDGE** mtk/11.04.24 B.A.No.2896 of 2024 -:8:- ## **`APPENDIX OF BAIL APPL. 2896/2024`** ``` PETITIONER ANNEXURES Annexure A1 ``` ``` A COPY OF THE ORDER OF THE HON'BLE SESSIONS JUDGE, THRISSUR IN CRL.M.P.NO. 2035/2024 DATED 11.03.2024 ```