Muhammed Nayaz v. State of Kerala
Case Details & Bench
- Court
- High Court of Kerala
- Hon'ble Judges
- P. V. Kunhikrishnan
- Judgment Date
- 2025-04-04
- Court Decision / Holding
- Bail application allowed with conditions: (1) Bond Rs.50,000 with two solvent sureties for like amount; (2) Petitioner to appear before the Investigating Officer as required and co-operate; (3) Petitioner shall not leave India without permission; (4) Petitioner shall not commit any similar offence; (5) Petitioner shall deposit Rs.5,000 before the jurisdictional court; (6) Observations in this order are for deciding this bail application; (7) Court may cancel bail for violation; (8) Observations referencing Anzar Azeez v. State of Kerala; The order directs compliance with the conditional bail and ties it to the investigation and trial outcomes.
- Final Disposition
- Bail Granted
Parties to the Case
Appellants / Petitioners
- Muhammed Nayaz
Respondents
- State of Kerala
Legal Representation & Advocates
Counsels for Petitioners
- • A. Arunkumar
- • S. Shyam Kumar
- • Sachin George Aramban
- • Nesili Nazeer
Counsels for Respondents
- • Public Prosecutor, High Court of Kerala
- • Noushad K A (Senior Public Prosecutor)
Case Synopsis & Summary
Muhammed Nayaz, the petitioner, seeks bail under Section 483 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita in connection with Crime No.192/2025 at Vidyanagar Police Station, Kasaragod. The accusation includes house trespass, mischief and offences under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (sections 126(2), 115(2), 118(1), 110, 333, 324(1), 296(b) and 351(2) read with 3(5)). The prosecution alleges that on 9 March 2025, at about 12:40 hours, the accused restrained the de facto complainant on his two-wheeler and assaulted him with an iron rod, stones and other implements, and the assault could have caused fatal injuries; damages of Rs.10,000 were caused. The petitioner has been in custody since 11 March 2025. He submits that indefinite incarceration is unwarranted and that he is ready to abide by conditions if bail is granted. The Public Prosecutor opposes bail, citing criminal antecedents. The Court notes that the offence includes house trespass and mischief, a non-bailable offence in combination with other charges, and that the damage is modest. In Davis P.R. v. State of Kerala (2025 (2) KHC 6), the Court observed that in such a case the accused may be directed to deposit damages or part thereof as a condition for bail. Relying on this and other rulings, the Court directs a bail bond of Rs 50,000 with two solvent sureties, a Rs 5,000 deposit, appearance before the Investigating Officer, travel restrictions, and other customary conditions. The bail is granted in the interests of fair trial, with observations that bail is the rule and jail the exception.
Provisions of Law Cited
Legal Doctrines & Maxims
- Bail is the rule and jail is the exception
Submissions & Arguments
Contentions of Appellants / Petitioners
Counsel for the petitioner submitted that Nayaz has been in custody since 11 March 2025 and seeks bail with conditions. He contended that the offence is non-bailable but indefinite detention is unwarranted and that the petitioner is ready to abide by conditions including depositing damages if directed. He relied on Davis P.R. v. State of Kerala (2025 (2) KHC 6) to justify conditioning bail in a house trespass with mischief case and invoked the broader bail jurisprudence that bail is the rule and jail the exception, as reiterated by Chidambaram P v. Directorate of Enforcement (2019 (16) SCALE 870), Jalaluddin Khan v. Union of India (2024 KHC 6431), Manish Sisodia v. Directorate of Enforcement (2024 KHC 6426) and Anzar Azeez v. State of Kerala (2025 SCC OnLine KER 1260). The petitioner therefore seeks release on bail with bonds, a deposit of Rs. 5,000, and compliance with investigations.
Contentions of Respondents
The State through the Public Prosecutor opposed bail on grounds of criminal antecedents and the seriousness of the alleged offences, including house trespass and mischief with a non-trivial amount of damage. The prosecution argued that though indefinite custody is undesirable, the gravity of the allegations and the risk of interference with the investigation warrant cautious consideration. It urged that bail, if granted, should be strictly conditioned and tempered by statutory requirements.
Cited Precedents (5)
| Case Name | Citation | Treatment | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Davis P.R. v. State of Kerala | 2025 (2) KHC 6 | Positive | Court relied on this decision to justify conditioning bail with payment of damages in a house trespass and mischief case. |
| Chidambaram. P v Directorate of Enforcement | 2019 (16) SCALE 870 | Positive | Supreme Court principle that bail is the rule and jail the exception, guiding the present decision. |
| Jalaluddin Khan v. Union of India | 2024 KHC 6431 | Positive | High Court reiteration that bail should be granted in deserving cases under the rule 'bail is the rule...' |
| Manish Sisodia v. Directorate of Enforcement | 2024 KHC 6426 | Positive | High Court view supporting timely grant of bail and avoiding 'punishment' through denial of bail. |
| Anzar Azeez v. State of Kerala | 2025 SCC OnLine KER 1260 | Positive | Court applies established Anzar Azeez principle relevant to bail in similar contexts. |
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