Benny Mathai And Ors vs State Of Kerala

This is an application filed u/s 439 of Code of Criminal Procedure seeking regular bail.

The petitioners are the accused Nos. 5 and 6 in Crime No.11/2020 of Karikottakkari Police Station. The offences alleged are under Sections 143,

147, 364(A), 395 r/w 149 of IPC.

The prosecution case in short is that on 4/2/2020 at about 10.00 a.m., the petitioners along with the remaining accused formed an unlawful assembly

and in prosecution of the common object of the assembly reached the house of the defacto complainant, abducted him in a car and left him in an

abandoned place at Kappachery after committing robbery of his laptop, mobile phone etc.

Heard both sides and perused the case diary.

The learned counsel for the petitioners submitted that the petitioners are absolutely innocent and they have been falsely implicated in the present

case. He further submitted that there are no materials to connect the petitioners with the alleged crime and hence they are entitled to get bail. The

learned Public Prosecutor opposed the bail application. He contended that the alleged incident occurred as a part of the intentional criminal acts of the

petitioners and if the petitioners are released on bail at this stage, it would affect the course of investigation.

Perusal of the case diary would reveal that prima facie there are materials on record to connect the petitioners with the crime. However, the

petitioners were remanded to judicial custody on 16/4/2021. In view of the nature of the crime and the stage of investigation, I do not find any reason

to hold that the continued detention of the petitioners is required for any purpose. The investigation seems to have reached a fair stage. Accused No.3

has been granted anticipatory bail. Accused Nos.1, 2 and 4 also were granted regular bail. For all these reasons, the petitioners are entitled to be

released on bail on conditions.

In the result, the application is allowed on the following conditions:-

(i) The petitioners shall be released on bail on executing a bond for `1,00,000/- (Rupees One lakh only) each with two solvent sureties for the like sum

each to the satisfaction of the jurisdictional Magistrate/Court.

(ii) The petitioners shall fully co-operate with the investigation.

(iii) The petitioners shall appear before the investigating officer between 10.00 a.m and 11.00 a.m on every Saturday until further orders. The

petitioners shall also appear before the investigating officer as and when required by him.

(iv) The petitioners shall not commit any offence of like nature while on bail.

(v) The petitioners shall not make any attempt to contact any of the prosecution witnesses, directly or through any other person, or any other way try

to tamper with the evidence or influence any witnesses or other persons related to the investigation.

(vi) The petitioners shall not leave State of Kerala without the permission of the trial Court.