Vishnu Salim vs State Of Kerala

This Bail Application filed under Section 438 of Criminal Procedure Code (Cr.P.C.) was heard through Video Conference.

The petitioner is one of the accused in crime No.41/2021 of Kalady Police Station. The above case is registered against the petitioner and others

alleging offences punishable under Sections 323, 324, 326 and 308 r/w 34 of the Indian Penal Code.

The Prosecution case is that the petitioner along with the other accused in furtherance of their common intention caused bodily injury to the defacto

complainant, demanded back the money lent to the first accused in the above crime. It is alleged that the first accused hit the defacto complainant with

a helmet on his head and stabbed on his abdomen and when the defacto complainant fell down the petitioner also stabbed the defacto complainant. It

is alleged that the other accused also attacked the defacto complainant.

Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner and the learned Public Prosecutor. The counsel for the petitioner submitted that some of the accused

were already granted bail under Section 438 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and some others were released on regular bail under Section 439 of

the Cr.P.C. The counsel submitted that there is no serious overt act attributed against the petitioner. The Public Prosecutor opposed the Bail

Application.

After hearing both sides, I think this Bail Application can be allowed on stringent conditions. As evident by Annexure-4 order, one of the accused is

already released on bail by the Sessions Court under Section 438 Cr. P.C., I see no reason to deny bail to the petitioner also in the facts and

circumstances of the case.

Moreover, the 2nd wave of COVID-19 is spreading the country and the citizens are facing serious difficulties. In the state of Kerala, the 2nd wave

of the pandemic is creating lot of problems and even the day-to-day life of the citizens are affected. Everyday, about 25,000 people are tested positive

with COVID-19. In such circumstances, this Court has to consider this fact also while considering bail applications. The life is more important than

anything. Therefore, I am considering this bail application based on the above pandemic situation.

Moreover, considering the need to follow social distancing norms inside prisons so as to avert the spread of the novel Corona Virus Pandemic, the

Hon'ble Supreme Court in Re: Contagion of COVID-19 Virus In Prisons case (Suo Motu Writ Petition(C) No.1 of 2020) and a Full Bench of this

Court in W.P(C)No.9400 of 2020 issued various salutary directions for minimizing the number of inmates inside prisons. These happened during the

1st wave of COVID-19 season.

Moreover, it is a well accepted principle that, the bail is the rule and the jail is the exception. The Hon'ble Supreme Court in Chidambaram P. v.

Directorate of Enforcement (2019 (16) SCALE 870), after considering all the earlier judgments, observed that, the basic jurisprudence relating to bail

remains the same inasmuch as the grant of bail is the rule and refusal is the exception so as to ensure that, the accused has the opportunity of securing

fair trial.

Considering the dictum laid down in the above decision and considering the facts and circumstances of this case, this Bail Application is allowed

with the following directions:

The petitioner shall appear before the Investigating Officer within ten days from today and shall undergo interrogation;

After interrogation, if the Investigating Officer proposes to arrest the petitioner, he shall be released on bail on executing a bond for a sum of

Rs.50,000/-(Rupees Fifty Thousand only) with two solvent sureties each for the like sum to the satisfaction of the officer concerned;

The petitioner shall appear before the Investigating Officer for interrogation as and when required. The petitioner shall co-operate with the

investigation and shall not, directly or indirectly make any inducement, threat or promise to any person acquainted with the facts of the case so as to

dissuade him from disclosing such facts to the Court or to any police officer;

The petitioner shall not leave India without permission of the Court;

The petitioner shall not commit an offence similar to the offence of which he is accused, or suspected, of the commission of which he is suspected;

The petitioner shall strictly abide by the various guidelines issued by the State Government and Central Government with respect to keeping of

social distancing in the wake of Covid 19 pandemic;

If any of the above conditions are violated by the petitioner, the jurisdictional Court can cancel the bail in accordance to law, even though the bail is

granted by this Court.