M.Santhoshkumar v. The State Rep.By

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS

( Criminal Jurisdiction ) Tuesday, the Ninth day of November Two Thousand Twenty One PRESENT The Hon`ble Mrs Justice T.V.THAMILSELVI CRIMINAL ORIGINAL PETITION No.20950 of 2021 M.SANTHOSH KUMAR [ PETITIONER / ACCUSED ] Vs THE STATE REP.BY [ RESPONDENT ] THE INSPECTOR OF POLICE, CHETPET POLICE STATION, THIRUVANNAMALAI DISTRICT.

CR.NO.700 OF 2020.

For Petitioner : M/S. S.B.VISWANATHAN Advocate For Respondent : M/S.A.GOKULAKRISHNAN, Additional Public Prosecutor PETITION FOR ANTICIPATORY BAIL Under Sec. 438 Cr.P.C. ORDER : The Court Made the following order :- The petitioner, who apprehends arrest for the alleged offence under Sections 379 and 430 of the IPC read with Section 21(3) of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 and Section 3 of the Tamilnadu Public Properties (Damages and Loss) Act in Crime No.700 of 2020 on the file of the respondent police, seeks anticipatory bail.

2. The case of the prosecution is that the petitioner is involved in illegal transportation of one unit of river sand in four wheeler. Hence the complaint.

3. The learned counsel appearing for the petitioner submits that the petitioner has not committed any offence as alleged by the prosecution and he has been falsely implicated in this case. Hence, he prays for grant of anticipatory bail.

4. The learned Additional Public Prosecutor submits that the petitioner had illegally transported one unit of river sand in four wheeler without any valid permit. He further submits that the investigation is not yet completed.

5. This Court on the earlier occasion in Crl.O.P.No.15249 of 2020 by order dated 28.09.2020, following the orders passed by this Court in a batch of applications in Crl.O.P.No.13334 of 2020 dated 03.09.2020 had dismissed the earlier application expressing the https://hcservices.ecourts.gov.in/hcservices/

opinion that the offenders despite several orders passed by various Benches of this Court regarding illegal sand mining and knowing fully well about the evil consequences affecting the environment and society at large and the implications thereon are indulging in the offences of illegal quarrying/mining, theft and smuggling of sand and minerals and that finding that the case comes under the category of cases of large magnitude affecting and impacting livelihood of a very large number of people knowingly and unknowingly, had dismissed the earlier application. Subsequently, the order of this Court in Crl.O.P.No.13334 of 2020 and Batch etc. dated 03.09.2020 was clarified by the Hon'ble Supreme Court and the Hon'ble Supreme Court had not agreed with the broad sweep of the observation made by this Court in Paragraph 27 of the order in Crl.O.P.No.13334 of 2020 and connected matters decided on 03.09.2020 and had directed that the Court should take into consideration the role assigned to the person on case to case basis.

6. A perusal of the materials reveal that the petitioner was apprehended with one unit of river sand, which was being transported with the vehicle without any permit. That being the case, the illegal lifting and transportation of sand has been deprecated by this court in various decisions, keeping in mind the need for maintaining the ecological balance and the conservation of water table in the locality, as held by the Hon'ble Supreme Court, giving any leniency to the petitioner by granting anticipatory bail would only lead to the petitioner perpetrating the offence once again and, therefore, in the fitness of things, this court is not inclined to accede to the prayer as sought for by the petitioner. Accordingly, the anticipatory bail sought for cannot be granted and this petition is dismissed.

-sd/- 09/11/2021 This order, on being produced, be punctually observed and carried into execution by all concerned TRUE COPY Sub-Assistant Registrar (Statistics/C.S.) High Court, Madras - 600 104.

TO 1 THE INSPECTOR OF POLICE, CHETPET POLICE STATION, THIRUVANNAMALAI DISTRICT.

2 THE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR HIGH COURT, MADRAS.

CC to M/S. S.B.VISWANATHAN Advocate on payment of necessary charges CRL OP.20950/2021 Date :09/11/2021 TA-17/11/2021 https://hcservices.ecourts.gov.in/hcservices/