Hariprasad v. State of Kerala

## `IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM` ## `PRESENT` ``` THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE C.S.DIAS ``` ``` WEDNESDAY, THE 21[ST] DAY OF FEBRUARY 2024 / 2ND PHALGUNA, 1945 ``` ``` BAIL APPL. NO. 10773 OF 2023 ``` ``` CRIME NO.153/2023 OF ETTUMANOOR EXCISE RANGE OFFICE, KOTTAYAM ``` ``` AGAINST THE ORDER IN CRMP 3257/2023 OF DISTRICT COURT & SESSIONS COURT,KOTTAYAM ``` ## `PETITIONER:` ``` HARIPRASAD, AGED 45 YEARS SON OF GOPALAKRISHNAN ACHARI, PARATHADATHIL HOUSE, THELLKOMKARA , PEROOR VILLAGE,KOTTAYAM DISTRICT, PIN – 686637 ``` ``` BY ADV LUKE J CHIRAYIL ``` ## `RESPONDENTS:` - `1 STATE OF KERALA, REPRESENTED BY PUBLIC PROSECUTOR, HIGH COURT OF KERALA, PIN – 682031` - `2 THE INSPECTOR, EXCISE RANGE OFFICE, ETTUMANOOR, ETTUMANOOR P.O., KOTTAYAM, PIN – 686631` ## `OTHER PRESENT:` ``` SR PP SMT NEEMA T V ``` ``` THIS BAIL APPLICATION HAVING COME UP FOR ADMISSION ON 21.02.2024, THE COURT ON THE SAME DAY DELIVERED THE FOLLOWING: ``` B.A.No.10773/2023 -:2:- Dated this the 21[st] day of February,2024 ## **O R D E R** The application is filed under Section 438 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973(‘Code’, for short), for an order of pre-arrest bail. 2. The petitioner is the fourth accused in Crime No.153/2023 of the Excise Range Office, Ettumanoor, registered against the accused (four in number), for allegedly committing the offences punishable under Sections 8(1) & (2) & 55(g) of the Kerala Abkari Act,1 of 1077(in short, ‘Act’). 3. The gist of the prosecution case is that: on 20.10.2023, at around 01.30 hours, the accused Nos.1 to 4 were found engaged in distilling of arrack at the house of the fourth accused in Ettumanoor Grama Panchayat. The fourth accused was found in possession of 03 litres of arrack and 75 litres of wash along with the utensils for disbursal of arrack. Thus, the accused B.A.No.10773/2023 -:3:- have committed the above offences. 4. Heard; Sri. Luke J. Chirayil, the learned counsel appearing for the petitioner and Smt.Neema T.V., the learned Public Prosecutor appearing for the respondents. 5. The learned counsel for the petitioner submitted that the petitioner is totally innocent of the accusations levelled against him. He has been falsely implicated in the crime. He has no criminal antecedents. The petitioner is willing to abide by any stringent condition that may be imposed by this Court. At any rate, the petitioner’s custodial interrogation is not necessary. The learned counsel placed reliance on the decision of this Court in **Balakrishna Rai v. State of Kerala** [2020 (3) KHC 286] and **Raju v. State of Kerala** [Crl.A. No.361/2015] to fortify his contentions in the bail application. He prayed that the application may be allowed. 6. The learned Public Prosecutor seriously B.A.No.10773/2023 -:4:- opposed the application. She contended that the contraband articles were seized from the property belonging to the petitioner. The petitioner was in conscious possession of 03 litres of arrack and 75 litres of wash. The petitioner’s custodial interrogation is necessary and recovery is to be effected. Moreover, the application is hit by the rigour under Section 41A of the Act. Hence, the application may be dismissed. 7. In **Siddharam Satlingappa Mhetre v. State of Maharashtra** [(2011) 1 SCC 694] the Hon’ble Supreme Court has held as follows: 111. No inflexible guidelines or straitjacket formula can be provided for grant or refusal of anticipatory bail. We are clearly of the view that no attempt should be made to provide rigid and inflexible guidelines in this respect because all circumstances and situations of future cannot be clearly visualised for the grant or refusal of anticipatory bail. In consonance with the legislative intention the grant or refusal of anticipatory bail should necessarily depend on the facts and circumstances of each case. As aptly observed in the Constitution Bench decision in Sibbia case [(1980) 2 SCC 565 : 1980 SCC (Cri) 465] that the High Court or the Court of Session has to exercise their jurisdiction under Section 438 CrPC by a wise and careful use of their discretion which by their long training and experience they are ideally suited to do. In any event, this is the legislative mandate which we are bound to respect and honour. 112. The following factors and parameters can be taken into B.A.No.10773/2023 -:5:- consideration while dealing with the anticipatory bail: (i) The nature and gravity of the accusation and the exact role of the accused must be properly comprehended before arrest is made; (ii) The antecedents of the applicant including the fact as to whether the accused has previously undergone imprisonment on conviction by a court in respect of any cognizable offence; (iii) The possibility of the applicant to flee from justice; (iv) The possibility of the accused's likelihood to repeat similar or other offences; (v) Where the accusations have been made only with the object of injuring or humiliating the applicant by arresting him or her; (vi) Impact of grant of anticipatory bail particularly in cases of large magnitude affecting a very large number of people; (vii) The courts must evaluate the entire available material against the accused very carefully. The court must also clearly comprehend the exact role of the accused in the case. The cases in which the accused is implicated with the help of Sections 34 and 149 of the Penal Code, 1860 the court should consider with even greater care and caution because overimplication in the cases is a matter of common knowledge and concern; (viii) While considering the prayer for grant of anticipatory bail, a balance has to be struck between two factors, namely, no prejudice should be caused to the free, fair and full investigation and there should be prevention of harassment, humiliation and unjustified detention of the accused; (ix) The court to consider reasonable apprehension of tampering of the witness or apprehension of threat to the complainant; (x) Frivolity in prosecution should always be considered and it is only the element of genuineness that shall have to be considered in the matter of grant of bail and in the event of there being some doubt as to the genuineness of the prosecution, in the normal course of events, the accused is entitled to an order of bail. B.A.No.10773/2023 -:6:- 126. We deem it appropriate to reiterate and assert that discretion vested in the court in all matters should be exercised with care and circumspection depending upon the facts and circumstances justifying its exercise. Similarly, the discretion vested with the court under Section 438 CrPC should also be exercised with caution and prudence. It is unnecessary to travel beyond it and subject the wide power and discretion conferred by the legislature to a rigorous code of self-imposed limitations. 8. In **Jai Prakash Singh v. State of Bihar and Anr.** [(2012) 4 SCC 379], the Hon’ble Supreme Court has held that an order of a pre-arrest bail is an extraordinary privilege, which should be granted only in exceptional cases. The judicial discretion conferred upon the court must be properly exercised after proper application of mind to decide whether it is a fit case for grant of anticipatory bail. The Court has to be prima facie satisfied that the accusation levelled against the applicant is only to enrope him in the crime and would misuse his liberty. 9. On an anxious consideration to the facts, the rival submissions made across the Bar, and the materials placed on record, particularly on B.A.No.10773/2023 -:7:- comprehending the seriousness, gravity, and nature of the offences alleged against the petitioner, that his custodial interrogation is necessary, that the recovery has to be effected, and, further the application falls within the sweep of Section 41A of the Act, I am convinced that the petitioner has not made out any exceptional grounds to invoke the extraordinary jurisdiction of this Court under Section 438 of the Code. Hence, I hold that this is not a fit case to grant an order of pre-arrest bail. Consequently, the bail application is dismissed. 10. Nonetheless, I direct that, if the petitioner surrenders before the Investigating Officer within 10 days from today, he shall be interrogated and, thereafter, be produced before the jurisdictional Court on the date of surrender itself. Then, if the petitioner moves an application for bail, the jurisdictional Court shall, untrammelled by any observations in this order, consider the bail application on its merits and as B.A.No.10773/2023 -:8:- expeditiously as possible. If the petitioner does not surrender before the Investigating Officer as directed above, the Investigating Officer shall be free to arrest the petitioner as if no order has been passed in this case. Sd/- ## **C.S.DIAS,JUDGE** DST/21.02.24 //True copy// P.A. To Judge