High Court of KeralaSingle JudgeBail Granted

Dr. Varun Nambiar v. State of Kerala

Case / Petition Number:BA No. 4183 of 2025
Neutral Citation:2025:KER:28792

Case Details & Bench

Court
High Court of Kerala
Hon'ble Judges
  • P.V. Kunhikrishnan
Judgment Date
2025-04-02
Court Decision / Holding
This Bail Application is allowed. Bail granted to the petitioner with conditions: appearance before the Investigating Officer within two weeks for interrogation; post-interrogation, if arrest is contemplated, release on bail on bond of Rs.50,000 with two solvent sureties; petitioner shall not leave India without court permission; shall not commit a similar offence; must cooperate; investigation may proceed including recoveries if necessary; bail may be canceled for violation by the jurisdictional court.
Final Disposition
Bail Granted

Parties to the Case

Appellants / Petitioners

  • Dr. Varun Nambiar

Respondents

  • State of Kerala

Legal Representation & Advocates

Counsels for Petitioners

  • • M.V. Amaresan
  • • S.S. Aravind

Counsels for Respondents

  • • Public Prosecutor

Case Synopsis & Summary

This High Court of Kerala bail petition, BA No.4183 of 2025, concerns Dr. Varun Nambiar, a dental surgeon accused in Crime No.330/2025 of Payyannur Police Station, Kannur, under Sections 125 and 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS). The petitioner seeks bail under Section 482 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, arguing that as an authorised dental surgeon he performed the procedure in the ordinary course and that natural side effects can occur; no criminal liability is established. The Public Prosecutor opposed the bail. After hearing counsel for the petitioner and prosecution and examining pleadings and circumstances, the court held that bail can be granted with stringent conditions to ensure a fair trial. The court relies on established principles that bail is the rule and jail the exception, citing Chidambaram P. v. Directorate of Enforcement to support this basic jurisprudence, and also refers to Siddharth v. State of Uttar Pradesh to emphasize the centrality of personal liberty even in grave offenses. It also cites Joginder Kumar for distinguishing arrest power from its exercise, and Manish Sisodia for not equating grave offenses with automatic denial of bail. The order imposes conditions: the petitioner must appear before the Investigating Officer within two weeks for interrogation; if arrest is contemplated, he shall be released on bail on a bond of Rs.50,000 with two solvent sureties; no leaving India without court permission; no commission of similar offences; cooperation with the investigation; and jurisdictional powers to modify or cancel bail for violations, with reference to Sushila Aggarwal and Anzar Azeez as supportive authorities. The petition is allowed with these directions, bearing the signature of P.V. Kunhikrishnan, J.

Provisions of Law Cited

Section 482 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023Sections 125 and 318(4) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023

Legal Doctrines & Maxims

  • Bail is the rule and jail is the exception
  • Personal liberty is a fundamental constitutional mandate
  • Distinction between power to arrest and justification for its exercise

Submissions & Arguments

Contentions of Appellants / Petitioners

The petitioner contends that he is an authorised dental surgeon and carried out the procedure in accordance with standard practice; natural side effects may occur; no criminal offence is established. The counsel urged that bail should be granted with stringent conditions to safeguard the accused’s right to a fair trial.

Contentions of Respondents

The Public Prosecutor opposed the bail, arguing likely risk and the seriousness of the alleged offences; sought denial of bail pending trial.

Cited Precedents (6)

Case NameCitationTreatmentExplanation
Chidambaram P. v. Directorate of Enforcement2019 (16) SCALE 870PositiveCited to reinforce the principle that bail is the rule and deprivation of liberty is the exception to secure fair trial.
Siddharth v State of Uttar Pradesh and Another[2021(5)KHC 353]PositiveUsed to emphasize personal liberty and that bail considerations can prevail even in grave offences.
Joginder Kumar v. State of UP and Others(1994 KHC 189; (1994) 4 SCC 260; AIR 1994 SC 1349)PositiveDoctrine distinguishing power to arrest from exercise; avoid routine arrest to protect reputation and liberty.
Manish Sisodia v. Central Bureau of Investigation2023 KHC 6961PositiveNot a rule that grave economic offenses automatically deny bail; supportive for bail considerations.
Sushila Aggarwal v. State (NCT of Delhi) and another2020 (1) KHC 663PositiveAuthority invoked for bail-related conditions and continued jurisdictional oversight.
Anzar Azeez v. State of Kerala2025 SCC OnLine KER 1260PositivePrinciple from a Kerala case applied for the present bail order.

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Extracted Judgment Text

Exact text extracted from official judgment records.

``` 2025:KER:28792 ``` **==> picture [58 x 58] intentionally omitted <==** ## **`IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM`** ## **`PRESENT`** ``` THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE P.V.KUNHIKRISHNAN ``` ``` WEDNESDAY, THE 2[ND] DAY OF APRIL 2025/12TH CHAITHRA, 1947 ``` ``` BAIL APPL. NO. 4183 OF 2025 ``` ``` CRIME NO.330/2025 OF PAYYANNUR POLICE STATION, KANNUR ``` ## **`PETITIONER/S:`** ``` DR. VARUN NAMBIAR AGED 38 YEARS S/O. M. NARAYANANKUTTY, VARDHAAN, NEAR FIRE STATION, MOORIKOVVAL, PAYYANNUR P.O., KANNUR DISTRICT, PIN - 670307 ``` ``` BY ADVS. M.V.AMARESAN S.S.ARAVIND ``` ## **`RESPONDENT/S:`** ``` STATE OF KERALA REPRESENTED BY PUBLIC PROSECUTOR,HIGH COURT OF KERALA, PIN - 682031 ``` ## **`OTHER PRESENT:`** ## **`SR PP-HRITHWIK C S`** ``` THIS BAIL APPLICATION HAVING COME UP FOR ADMISSION ON 02.04.2025, THE COURT ON THE SAME DAY DELIVERED THE FOLLOWING: ``` ``` 2025:KER:28792 ``` **==> picture [58 x 58] intentionally omitted <==** B.A No.4183 of 2025 2 ## **P.V.KUNHIKRISHNAN, J** **--------------------------------------B.A. No.4183 of 2025 -------------------------------------Dated this the 2[nd] day of April, 2025** ## **O R D E R** This Bail Application is filed under Section 482 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita. 2. Petitioner is the accused in Crime No.330 of 2025 of Payyannur Police Station, Kannur. The above case is registered against the petitioner alleging offences punishable under Sections 125 and 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (for short ‘BNS’). 3. The prosecution case is that is the petitioner is a dental surgeon, subjected the complainant, who is one in modeling field, to unscientific face lifting treatment for augmenting her facial beauty, as a result of that she had to suffer side effects. Hence it is alleged that the accused committed the offence. 4. Heard counsel for the petitioner and the **==> picture [58 x 58] intentionally omitted <==** ``` 2025:KER:28792 ``` B.A No.4183 of 2025 3 Public Prosecutor. 5. Counsel appearing for the petitioner submitted that the petitioner is a authorised dental surgeon and he has done the surgery in accordance through the procedure. The counsel submitted some natural side effects will be there in such surgery. No criminal offence is made out. 6. Public Prosecutor opposed the bail application. 7. After going through the pleadings and facts and circumstance of the case, I think bail can be granted to the petitioner after imposing stringent conditions. 8. Moreover, it is a well accepted principle that the bail is the rule and the jail is the exception. The Hon'ble Supreme Court in **Chidambaram. P v Directorate of Enforcement [2019 (16) SCALE 870],** after considering all the earlier judgments, observed that, the basic jurisprudence relating to bail remains the same inasmuch as the grant of bail is the rule and refusal is the exception so **==> picture [58 x 58] intentionally omitted <==** ``` 2025:KER:28792 ``` ## B.A No.4183 of 2025 4 as to ensure that the accused has the opportunity of securing fair trial. 9. Recently the Apex Court in **Siddharth v State of Uttar Pradesh and Another [2021(5)KHC 353]** considered the point in detail. The relevant paragraph of the above judgment is extracted hereunder. “12. We may note that personal liberty is an important aspect of our constitutional mandate. The occasion to arrest an accused during investigation arises when custodial investigation becomes necessary or it is a heinous crime or where there is a possibility of influencing the witnesses or accused may abscond. Merely because an arrest can be made because it is lawful does not mandate that arrest must be made. A distinction must be made between the existence of the power to arrest and the justification for exercise of it. (Joginder Kumar v. State of UP and Others (1994 KHC 189: (1994) 4 SCC 260: 1994 (1) KLT 919: 1994 (2) KLJ 97: AIR 1994 SC 1349: 1994 CriLJ 1981)) If arrest is made routine, it can cause incalculable harm to the reputation and self-esteem of a person. If the **==> picture [58 x 58] intentionally omitted <==** ## `2025:KER:28792` ## B.A No.4183 of 2025 5 Investigating Officer has no reason to believe that the accused will abscond or disobey summons and has, in fact, throughout cooperated with the investigation we fail to appreciate why there should be a compulsion on the officer to arrest the accused.” 10. In **Manish Sisodia v. Central Bureau of Investigation [2023 KHC 6961]** , the Apex Court observed that even if the allegation is one of grave economic offence, it is not a rule that bail should be denied in every case. Considering the dictum laid down in the above decision and considering the facts and circumstances of this case, this Bail Application is allowed with the following directions: 1. The petitioner shall appear before the Investigating Officer within two weeks from today and shall undergo interrogation. 2. After interrogation, if the Investigating **==> picture [58 x 58] intentionally omitted <==** ## `2025:KER:28792` ## B.A No.4183 of 2025 6 Officer propose to arrest the petitioner, he shall be released on bail on executing a bond for a sum of Rs.50,000/-(Rupees Fifty Thousand only) with two solvent sureties each for the like sum to the satisfaction of the arresting officer concerned. 3. The petitioner shall appear before the Investigating Officer for interrogation as and when required. The petitioner shall co-operate with the investigation and shall not, directly or indirectly make any inducement, threat or promise 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. 4. Petitioner shall not leave India without permission of the jurisdictional Court. **==> picture [58 x 58] intentionally omitted <==** ## `2025:KER:28792` ## B.A No.4183 of 2025 7 5. Petitioner shall not commit an offence similar to the offence of which he is accused, or suspected, of the commission of which he is suspected. 6. 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 Supreme Court in **Sushila Aggarwal v. State (NCT of Delhi) and another** [2020 (1) KHC 663]. 7. The observations and findings in this order is only for the purpose of deciding this bail application. The principle laid down by this Court in **Anzar Azeez v. State of Kerala** [2025 SCC OnLine KER 1260] is applicable in this case also. **==> picture [58 x 58] intentionally omitted <==** ## `2025:KER:28792` ## B.A No.4183 of 2025 8 8. If any of the above conditions are violated by the petitioner, the jurisdictional Court can cancel the bail in accordance to law, even though the bail is granted by this Court. The prosecution and the victim are at liberty to approach the jurisdictional Court to cancel the bail, if any of the above conditions are violated. Sd/- **P.V.KUNHIKRISHNAN JUDGE** AMR