Scope of Anticipatory Bail

Anticipatory Bail

Questions of law arising from grant of anticipatory bail:

(1)Whether the protection granted to a person under Section 438 Cr.P.C. should be limited to a fixed period so as to enable the person to surrender before the Trial Court and seek regular bail.

(2)Whether the life of an anticipatory bail should end at the time and stage when the accused is summoned by the court.”

That the following need to be kept in mind by courts, dealing with applications under Section 438, Cr. PC:

(1) Consistent with the judgment in Shri Gurbaksh Singh Sibbia and others v. State of Punjab (1980 (2) SCC 565), when a person complains of apprehension of arrest and approaches for order,the application should be based on concrete facts (and not vague or general allegations) relatable to one or other specific offence. The application seeking anticipatory bail should contain bare essential facts relating to the offence, and why the applicant reasonably apprehends arrest, as well as his side of the story. These are essential for the court which should consider his application, to evaluate the threat or apprehension, its gravity or seriousness and the appropriateness of any condition that may have to be imposed. It is not essential that an application should be moved only after an FIR is filed; it can be moved earlier, so long as the facts are clear and there is reasonable basis for apprehending arrest.

Honeypreet not participating in investigation won’t get bail.

Honeypreet Insaan seeking bail in anticipation of arrest

The broad purpose of Section 438 Cr.PC is that where a person accused of commission of a non bailable offence is apprehending arrest, he may be afforded an opportunity to approach a High Court or a Court of Session for an appropriate order of bail before actual arrest. The two factors which entitle a person to seek shelter under Section 438 Cr.PC that firstly he must be under a reasonable apprehension of being arrested and secondly that such reasonable apprehension of arrest must arise on accusation of having committed a non bailable offence. Both these factors also determine the court in which an application under Section 438 Cr.PC can be filed.

Undoubtedly, anticipatory bail intrudes in the sphere of investigation of crime and some very compelling circumstances have to be made out for grant of anticipatory bail to the person accused of serious offences and the Court must be cautious and circumspect in exercising such power of a discretionary nature. Continue reading “Honeypreet not participating in investigation won’t get bail.” →

Bail in a Rape case

Rape case is generally presumed to be the case in which bail can not be granted at all. Matter gets worse when Courts make general observations about conditions and plight of women and proceed to refuse bail without referring to the facts of the case.

Conduct of complainant:

In one such case FIR was recorded in 2001, in which no allegation of rape was made and a case of misbehaviour u/s 506(2) was registered. No action was taken by complainant for a nearly a decade when she applied the court to add the charge of rape which was finally allowed in 2013.

Delay in addition of charge of rape:

Continue reading “Bail in a Rape case” →