Suman @ Unni v. State of Kerala

# **`IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM`** ## **`PRESENT`** ``` THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE C.S.DIAS ``` ``` TUESDAY, THE 9[TH] DAY OF APRIL 2024 / 20TH CHAITHRA, 1946 ``` ``` BAIL APPL. NO. 2948 OF 2024 ``` ``` CRIME NO.117/2024 OF Anchalummoodu Police Station, Kollam AGAINST THE ORDER DATED 02.04.2024 IN CRMC NO.554 OF 2024 OF DISTRICT COURT & SESSIONS COURT,KOLLAM PETITIONER/ACCUSED: ``` ``` SUMAN @ UNNI AGED 28 YEARS S/O SUDHAKARAN, UNNI NIVAS, NEAR KUPPANA OTTUKUZHI, NEERAVIL, THRIKKADAVUR, KOLLAM -, PIN - 691601 ``` ``` BY ADVS. S.RAJEEV V.VINAY M.S.ANEER PRERITH PHILIP JOSEPH ANILKUMAR C.R. K.S.KIRAN KRISHNAN NOURIN S. FATHIMA ``` ## **`RESPONDENT/COMPLAINANT:`** ``` STATE OF KERALA REPRESENTED BY PUBLIC PROSECUTOR, HIGH COURT OF KERALA, PIN - 682031 ``` ``` BY SR PP SRI C K SURESH ``` ``` THIS BAIL APPLICATION HAVING COME UP FOR ADMISSION ON 09.04.2024, THE COURT ON THE SAME DAY DELIVERED THE FOLLOWING: ``` **B.A. No.2948 of 2024** ``` 2 ``` ## **Dated this the 9[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 third accused in Crime No.117/2024 of the Anchalummoodu Police Station, Kollam, registered against the accused (five in number) for allegedly committing the offences punishable under Sections 294(b), 323, 324, 447 and 302 r/w Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code. The petitioner was arrested on 29.01.2024. 2. The gravamen of the prosecution case is that: on 27.01.2024, at around 01.00 hours, the accused, in furtherance of their common intention to murder Adarsh - the nephew of the defacto complainant named Sreejith, trespassed into the courtyard of his residence and uttered obscene words. When the defacto complainant questioned the same, the accused beat the defacto **B.A. No.2948 of 2024** ``` 3 ``` complainant on his head with an iron rod. When, the brother-in-law of the defacto complainant named Gopalakrishna Pillai attempted to intervene in the matter, the accused 3 and 4 attacked him and kicked him down on the ground. Subsequently, the defacto complainant’s brother, named Mohanan Pillai (deceased) also attempted to help Gopalakrishnan get in; then, the second accused stamped him on his chest and he succumbed to fatal injuries. The fifth accused abused the defacto complainant and his relatives in obscene language. Thus, the accused have committed the above offences. 3. Heard Sri. S. Rajeev, the learned counsel appearing for the petitioner and Sri. C.K. Suresh, the learned Senior Public Prosecutor appearing for the respondents. 4. The learned counsel for the petitioner submitted that the petitioner is totally innocent of the **B.A. No.2948 of 2024** ``` 4 ``` accusations levelled against him. A reading of Annexure A1 FIR would substantiate that it was only the second accused who inflicted the fatal injury on the deceased. There is no specific overt act alleged against the petitioner. Therefore, the offence under Section 302 of the IPC, which is the non-bailable offence, will not be attracted. In any given case, the petitioner has been in judicial custody since 29.01.2024 and the investigation in the case, so far as the petitioner is concerned, is practically complete. Therefore, the petitioner’s further detention is unnecessary. Hence, the application may be allowed. 5. The learned Public Prosecutor opposed the application. Nonetheless, he conceded to the fact that there is no specific overt act alleged against the petitioner. He submitted that the investigation in the case, so far as the petitioner is concerned, is practically complete and his further detention is not necessary. **B.A. No.2948 of 2024** ``` 5 ``` 6. On an evaluation of the materials placed on record, it is seen that the specific overt act of committing the offence under Section 302 of the IPC is alleged against the second accused. There is no specific overt act alleged against the petitioner. 7. In **Sanjay Chandra v. CBI** [2012 1 SCC 40], the Honourable Supreme Court has categorically held that the fundamental postulate of criminal jurisprudence is the presumption of innocence until a person is found guilty. Any imprisonment prior to conviction is to be considered as punitive and it would be improper on the part of the Court to refuse bail solely on the ground of former conduct. 8. In **Dataram Singh v. State of U.P.** , [(2018) 3 SCC 22] the Honourable Supreme Court observed that grant of bail is a rule and putting a person in jail is an exception. Even though the grant of bail is entirely the discretion of the court, it has to be evaluated based on ``` 6 ``` ## **B.A. No.2948 of 2024** the facts and circumstances of each case and the discretion has to be exercised in a judicious and compassionate manner. 9. Subsequently, in **State of Kerala v. Raneef,** [(2011) 1 SCC 784], the Honourable Supreme Court has again held that undertrial prisoners detained in jail for indefinite periods, without any sufficient reason or due to the delay in concluding the trial, will tantamount to infringement of their right to life guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution. 10. After bestowing my anxious consideration to the facts, the materials placed on record, the rival submissions made across the Bar, especially in view of the findings already rendered above, and considering the fact that the petitioner has been in judicial custody since 29.01.2024, that the investigation in the case, so far as the petitioner is concerned, is practically complete, I am of the definite view that the petitioner’s further detention **B.A. No.2948 of 2024** ``` 7 ``` is not necessary. Hence, I am inclined to allow the bail application, but subject to stringent conditions. 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) each 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 till the final report is filed. 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 ``` 8 ``` ## **B.A. No.2948 of 2024** manner, whatsoever; (iii) The petitioner shall not commit any offence 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) The petitioner shall not leave the jurisdictional limits of the Court of Session, Kollam, without the previous permission of the Jurisdictional Court. (vi) 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. (vii) Applications for deletion/modification of the bail conditions shall be filed and entertained before the ``` 9 ``` ## **B.A. No.2948 of 2024** court below. (viii) 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 of Delhi and another [2020 (1) KHC 663]** . Sd/- mtk/09.04.24 **C.S.DIAS, JUDGE** ``` 10 ``` ## **B.A. No.2948 of 2024** ## **`APPENDIX OF BAIL APPL. 2948/2024`** ``` PETITIONER ANNEXURES ``` ``` Annexure I ``` ``` TRUE COPY OF THE FIR IN CRIME NO 117/2024 OF ANCHALUMMODU POLICE STATION DATED 27.01.2024 ``` ``` Annexure ii ``` ``` THE TRUE COPY OF THE COMMON ORDER PASSED BY THIS HON'BLE COURT IN BA NO 1953/2024 & BA NO 1899/2024 DATED 26.03.2024 ```