Avijit Paul v. State Of West Bengal

22.04.2026 Court No.28 Item No.17 tbsr Allowed CRM (A) 1177 of 2026 In Re: - An application for anticipatory bail under Section 482 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 in connection with Lake Town P.S. Case No.157 of 2025 dated 06.06.2025 under Section 316(2)/318(4)/61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. And In the matter of: Avijit Paul ....Petitioner.

Mr. M. Bhattacharya Mr. A. Santra ...for the petitioner.

Mr. Sandip Chakraborty Mr. Sachit Talukdar ....for the State.

Learned counsel appearing on behalf of the petitioner submits as follows. The petitioner is a staff of a travel company. He was not named as an accused in the first charge sheet. A Naraji Petition was thereafter filed. Further investigation was allowed and the same is presently pending. The money in question for buying the tickets was transferred to the account of the principal accused. The principal accused was arrested and is now on interim bail. Learned counsel appearing on behalf of the State opposes the prayer for anticipatory bail. He relies on the statements of witnesses and submits that the principal accused has been granted interim bail.

Considering the above, the other materials available in the case diary, the alleged role ascribed to the present petitioner and the fact that the principal accused was arrested and was thereafter granted interim bail, I do not think that custodial interrogation of the

petitioner is required in this case and I am inclined to grant anticipatory bail to the petitioner.

In the event of arrest, the petitioner shall be released on bail upon furnishing a bond of Rs.10,000/- with two sureties of like amount each, one of whom must be local, to the satisfaction of the Arresting Officer and also be subject to the conditions as laid down under Section 438(2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 corresponding to Section 482(2) of the BNSS, 2023 and on further condition that the petitioner shall cooperate with investigation, shall meet the I.O. once a fortnight till submission of report in final form and shall not threaten or intimidate witnesses.

The application for anticipatory bail is, thus, allowed. Urgent photostat certified copy of this order may be supplied to the parties expeditiously, if applied for.

(Jay Sengupta, J.)