High Court of Punjab and HaryanaCRM-M/53392/2025allowed

Gurbaj Singh Alias Katta v. State Of Punjab

2026-05-29Mr. Justice Jasjit Singh Bedi6 pages

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IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH

(116-2 cases) Date of decision: 29.05.2026 (1) Gurbaj Singh @ Katta .... Petitioner V/s State of Punjab

...Respondent

(2) CRM-M-53167-2025 (O & M) Ranjit Singh @ Bhinda .... Petitioner V/s State of Punjab

...Respondent

CORAM:

HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE JASJIT SINGH BEDI

Present:

Mr. Parveen Chauhan, Advocate (in CRM-M-53392-2025) Mr. A.S. Prajapati, Advocate, (in CRM-M-53167-2025) for the petitioner(s).

Mr. Harkanwar Jeet Singh, AAG, Punjab.

Mr. Sandeep Sharma, Advocate, for the complainant.

***** JASJIT SINGH BEDI, J. (Oral) This order shall dispose of two criminal miscellaneous petitions i.e. CRM-M-53392-2025 and CRM-M-53167-2025 as they arise out of the same FIR.

The petitioners, namely, Gurbaj Singh @ Katta (in CRM-M53392-2025) and Ranjit Singh @ Bhinda (in CRM-M-53167-2025) seek the grant of regular bail under Section 483 of BNSS in case bearing FIR No.187 dated 21.11.2022 under Sections 302, 148, 149 IPC (Sections 379 & 120-B, 201

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IPC added later on) registered at Police Station Kamboj, District Amritsar Rural.

For the sake of convenience, the facts are being taken from the petition bearing No. CRM-M-53392-2025.

The present FIR came to be registered at the instance of Amandeep Singh and reads as under:- "Statement of Amandeep Singh son of Savinder Singh, resident of village Nangli, Police Station Kamboj, District Amritsar Rural, age about 36 years phone number 8146744243, Stated that I am a resident of the said address and we are three brothers and one sister. That I am the eldest one and my sister Baljit Kaur wife of Kewal Singh, resident of Mustabad, my younger brother Jaspreet Singh, who is 32 years old, and the youngest brother Paramjit Singh, who is about 29 years old and is married, he has a son 6 months old. That my brother Paramjit Singh who own JCB and works as a soil digger. I also have my own JCB and I work with my brother Jaspreet Singh in soil digging business.

Akashdeep Singh son of Baljinder Singh, resident of Nangil who is about 17 years old works as a helper at JCB with my brother Paramjit Singh. Me and my brother Jaspreet Singh, Paramjit Singh and Akashdeep Singh after getting free from our work were standing near Muradpura Petrol Pump and at that time it would be around 5.25 p.m. in the evening. My brother Paramjit Singh phone No. 9872784243 got a call that in a new colony near Naaehra Colony on the back side of RB Garden there is some soil digging work, come and see the work. So my brother Paramjit Singh and Akashdeep Singh rode their motorcycle Passion Pro bearing no.

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the work of digging soil should not be too much. I and my brother Jaspreet Singh also followed them after a while on our motorcycle with an idea that there may not be too much work. It was around 5:45 PM when we reached the turn of Navi colony, my brother Paramjit Singh was being brutally beaten with swords by 6/7 unknown persons at a distance of 100 meters from us and Akashdeep Singh standing near was screaming loudly. Then we shouted loudly "Mardita Mardita", then the said unknown person, along with their respective weapons, rode on their three motorcycle and escaped from the spot.

We quickly reached to our brother, Paramjit Singh, who was lying on the mante banjar near under construction road in the middle of colony, 5/6 cut scars on his face and his both wrists were having cut scars with swords and sharp weapons and his stomach and was bleeding profusely with the cut (injury). My brother Paramjit Singh had died at the spot. We did not find the any mobile phone of my brother Paramjit Singh at the spot. That I left my brother Jaspreet Singh and Akashdeep Singh to guard the dead body and was coming to inform you but you met me in Muradpura stand, that my brother Paramjit Singh was called under guise and killed by the said unknown persons. Strict action should be taken against them, I have scribed the statement and read it word by word. Sd/-Amandeep Singh above Amandeep Singh. Police Proceedings...."

The learned counsels for the petitioners contend that the petitioners are not named in the FIR. After a few days of the occurrence, the supplementary statement of the complainant was recorded to the effect that the deceased had a monetary dispute with one Pratap Singh @ Taba. Pratap

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Singh @ Taba was arrested and allegedly disclosed the names of the petitioners and other accused. They contend that no Test Identification Parade has been conducted and this assumes significance in view of the fact that there were 03 eye-witnesses to the occurrence, namely, Amandeep Singh (complainant), Akashdeep Singh, Jaspreet Singh. The recovery of one kirpan has been foisted upon the petitioner-Gurbaj Singh @ Katta (in CRMM-53392-2025). As the petitioners are in custody since 14.12.2022 and 10.05.2023 respectively but only 01 out of the 11 prosecution witnesses has been examined so far, the Trial of the present case is not likely to be concluded anytime soon and therefore, they are entitled to the concession of bail.

The learned counsel for the State, on the other hand, has filed a status report dated 28.05.2026 by way of an affidavit of Yadwinder Singh, PPS, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Sub-Division Attari, Amritsar, which is taken on record. While referring to the said status report, he alongwith the counsel for the complainant contend that the supplementary statement of the complainant-Amandeep Singh was recorded to the effect that one Pratap Singh @ Taba who is a friend of the deceased had a monetary dispute with him. The said Pratap Singh @ Taba was arrested and disclosed the name of the petitioners and other co-accused, all of whom are alleged to have assaulted the deceased. The nature of the allegations levelled against the petitioners do not entitle them to the concession of bail. They, however, concede that the petitioners are in custody since 14.12.2022 and 10.05.2023

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respectively and only 01 out of the 11 prosecution witnesses has been examined so far.

I have heard the learned counsel for the parties. 8.

The veracity of the prosecution case against the petitioners and their co-accused shall be adjudicated upon during the course of the Trial. The petitioners are in custody since 14.12.2022 and 10.05.2023 respectively but only 01 of the 11 prosecution witnesses has been examined so far. Therefore, the Trial of the present case is not likely to be concluded anytime soon. In this situation, their further incarceration is not required. 9.

Thus, without commenting on the merits of the case, the present petitions are allowed and the petitioners, namely, GurbaJ Singh @ Katta (in CRM-M-53392-2025) and Ranjit Singh @ Bhinda (in CRM-M-53167-2025) are ordered to be released on bail subject to their furnishing bail bonds and surety bonds each to the satisfaction of learned CJM/Duty Magistrate, concerned.

10.

The petitioners shall appear before the police station concerned on the first Monday of every month till the conclusion of the trial and inform in writing each time that they are not involved in any other case/crime other than the cases referred to the custody certificates dated 29.05.2026 (in the respective petitions).

11.

If any attempt whatsoever is made by the petitioner and/or his family members/friends to contact/threaten/intimidate any of the witnesses

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of the present occurrence, the State/complainant shall be at liberty to move an application for cancellation of bail granted vide this order. 12.

These petitions stand disposed of.

13.

The pending application(s), if any, shall stand disposed of accordingly.

14.

A copy of this order be placed on the files of the connected petition bearing No. CRM-M-53167-2025 tiled as 'Ranjit Singh @ Bhinda versus State of Punjab'.

( JASJIT SINGH BEDI) May 29, 2026 JUDGE sukhpreet Whether speaking/reasoned Yes/No Whether reportable Yes/No