Ram Avtar Singh vs State Of Uttarakhand

Alok Kumar Verma, J

This bail application has been filed under Section 439 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 for grant of regular bail in connection with FIR

No.88 of 2020, registered with Police Station Dalanwala, District Dehradun for the offence under Sections 409, 420, 120-B of I.P.C. and Section

13(1) (d) read with Section 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

According to the FIR dated 14.06.2020, in the matter of the scholarship scam, in compliance of the letter dated 17.04.2018 of the Home

Department of the State of Uttarakhand, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted. The Sub-Inspector Mr. Rohit Kumar, was a member of

the Special Investigation Team. After enquiry, the informant, Mr. Rohit Kumar, Sub-Inspector, lodged the said FIR against the co-accused persons.

Heard Mr. Navneet Kaushik, the learned counsel for the applicant and Mr. T.C. Agarwal, the learned Deputy Advocate General with Mr. P.S.

Uniyal, the learned Brief Holder for the State.

Mr. Navneet Kaushik, the learned counsel for the applicant, submitted that the applicant has been implicated in this matter; the matter in dispute

pertains to the year 2014-2015; at the relevant point of time, he was the District Social Welfare Officer, Dehradun; he had transferred the scholarship

amount in the account of the concerned students; he has retired from service; no offence has been made out against the applicant; the applicant is in

custody since 27.10.2021 and, the applicant, aged about 68 years, is a permanent resident of District Dehradun.

Mr. T.C. Agarwal, the learned Deputy Advocate General, opposed the bail application. However, he fairly conceded that at this stage i.e. the stage

of investigation, it is not clear that the applicant had received himself any scholarship amount, and, if received, how much was received.

Bail is the rule and committal to jail is an exception. Refusal of bail is a restriction on the personal liberty of the individual, guaranteed under Article

21 of the Constitution of India. The object of keeping the accused person in detention during the investigation is not punishment. The main purpose is

manifestly to secure the attendance of the accused.

Having considered the submissions of learned counsel for both the parties and in the facts and circumstances of the case, there is no reason to keep

the applicant behind the bars for an indefinite period, therefore, without expressing any opinion as to the merits of the case, this Court is of the view

that the applicant deserves bail at this stage.

The bail application is allowed.

Let the applicant Ram Avtar Singh be released on bail on his executing a personal bond and furnishing two reliable sureties, each in the like amount,

to the satisfaction of the court concerned with the following conditions :-

i) The applicant shall make himself available at the time of interrogation by a police officer as and when requires;

ii) The applicant shall not directly or indirectly make any inducement, threat or promise to any person acquainted with the facts of this case.

It is clarified that if the applicant misuses or violates any of the conditions, imposed upon him, the Investigating Officer will be free to move the

court for cancellation of bail.