Punit Ram Kaushik And ANR. v. State Of Chhattisgarh
NAFR HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH, BILASPUR MCRC No. 1679 of 2020
1. Punit Ram Kaushik And Anr. S/o Late Shri Dhanajeet Kaushik, Aged About 45 Years R/o Village Chavela, Police Station Khadgaon, Tahsil Manpur, District Rajnandgaon Chhattisgarh.
2. Rakesh Kumar Dhurve S/o Late Shri Dharam Singh Dhurve, Aged About 47 Years R/o Village Ghauthiya, Police Station Khadgaon, Tahsil Manpur, District Rajnandgaon Chhattisgarh., ---- Applicants
Versus
• State Of Chhattisgarh Through - Excise Circle - B, District Rajnandgaon Chhattisgarh ---- Respondent For Applicants : Shri Aditya Bharadwaj, Advocate For Respondent /State : Shri Wasim Miyan, PL Hon'ble Smt. Justice Rajani Dubey Order On Board 12/03/2020 The applicants have filed this application under Section 439 of the Code of Criminal Procedure for grant of regular bail as they are in custody in connection with Crime No. 264/2020 registered at police station Excise Circle-B, district Rajnandgaon (CG) for the offence punishable under Section 34 (2) of the Excise Act. Prosecution case in brief is that after receiving secret information, the police party made a search and seized 18.72 bulk litres of illicit country made liquor from the possession of applicants which was kept by them in the bike.
Counsel for the applicants submits that the applicants are innocent and have been falsely implicated in the crime in question. He submits that the applicants are in jail since 16.02.2020 and the trial may take some time for its disposal and therefore they be released on bail.
On the other hand, learned counsel for the State opposes the bail application.
Heard counsel for the parties.
Considering the totality of the facts and circumstances of the case, in particular the detention period of the applicants and the fact that as per condition laid down in Section 59-A(ii) of the CG Excise Act 1915 and also the principles of law laid in Banti singh Vs. State of Chhattisgarh (MCRC No. 6846 of 2014), the applicants were found in possession of 18.72 bulk liters of illicit country made liquor which is more than the prescribed limit of 5 bulk liters, but looking to the fact that the applicants are in custody since 16.02.2020, case is triable by Judicial Magistrate First Class, the trial is likely to take some more time and also looking to the gravity of the offence, I am inclined to release them on regular bail. Accordingly, their application filed under Section 439 of the Code of Criminal Procedure is allowed.
It is directed that in the event of the applicants' furnishing a personal bond of Rs.
I) That the applicants shall furnish a specific undertaking that while
on bail, they will not commit any excise offence, otherwise bail granted to them shall be liable to be cancelled and shall co-operate the prosecution during trial.
ii) that the accused/applicants shall make themselves available for interrogation before the concerned Investigating Officer as and when required and the accused/applicants 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/her from disclosing such facts to the Court or to any police officer. iii) That the accused/applicants shall not act, in any manner, which will be prejudicial to fair and expeditious trial. Sd/- (Rajani Dubey) Judge suguna