/2023 INSC 0400/
NON­REPORTABLE
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION
CRIMINAL APPEAL NOS. 1343­44 OF 2023
(@ SLP (Crl) Nos. 012669 ­ 012670 / 2022)
Rahul Gupta    ...Appellants(s)
Versus
State of Rajasthan & Anr. Etc.     …Respondent(s)
J U D G M E N T
M.R. SHAH, J.
1. Feeling   aggrieved   and   dissatisfied   with   the
impugned   order   dated   18.07.2022   passed   by
the   High   Court   of   Judicate   for   Rajasthan
Bench   at   Jaipur   in   S.B.   Criminal
Miscellaneous   Bail   Application   No.
2363/2022   and   S.B.   Criminal   Misc.   II   Bail
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Application   No.   10068/2022,   by   which,   the
High   Court   has   directed   to   enlarge   original
accused   –   private   respondents   herein   on   bail
in   connection   with   FIR   No.   474/2021
registered   at   Police   Station   Kotwali,   District
Dholpur for  the offences under Sections 302,
307,   201,   120­B   of   IPC,   the   original
complainant/informant   has   preferred   the
present appeals. 
 
2. At   the   outset,   it   is   required   to   be   noted   that
private   respondents   –   accused   have   been
chargesheeted   after   investigation   for   the
offences under Sections 302, 307, 201, 120­B
of   the   IPC.   Despite   the   above   and   without
taking   into   consideration   any   of   the   material
forming   part   of   the   chargesheet   and   without
even   considering   the   seriousness   of   the
offences alleged; material collected during the
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investigation,   the   High   Court   has   by   a   non­
speaking   order   has   directed   to   release   the
accused   –   private   respondents   herein   on   bail
by further observing that there is a possibility
that trial may take long time to conclude. In a
case for the offence under Section 302 of IPC
in   which   one   person   was   guilty,   the   High
Court ought to have taken into consideration
the   material   collected   during   the
investigation.   From   the   impugned   order
passed by the High Court, it appears that the
only observations made by the High Court are
in paragraph 4 which reads as under: ­ 
“4.   Considering   the   arguments   advanced
by  the counsel for  the parties and looking
to   the   possibility   that   the   trial   may   take
long  time to  conclude,  this  court  deems  it
just   and   proper   to   enlarge   the   petitioners
on bail.”
     
When   the   accused   are   chargesheeted
after   the   investigation,   the   High   Court   ought
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to   have   taken   note   of   and/or   considered   the
material   collected   during   the   investigation
even to find out whether there is any material
collected   during   the   investigation   involving
the   accused   for   the   serious   offence   under
Section   302   of   IPC   and   therefore,   whether   it
is a fit case to enlarge the accused on bail or
not.   Under   the   circumstances,   the   impugned
order   passed   by   the   High   Court   is
unsustainable   and   the   same   deserves   to   be
quashed   and   set   aside   and   the   matter   is
required   to   be   remitted   back   to   the   High
Court to decide the bail applications afresh.  
3. Learned   counsel   appearing   on   behalf   of   the
original   accused   has   submitted   that   wife   of
accused – Sunil Gupta is suffering from brain
haemorrhage.   It   will   be   open   for   the   accused
to prayer for interim bail and/or seek bail on
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that  ground  which  may   be  considered by  the
High Court in accordance with law and on its
own merits. 
 
4. In   view   of   the   above   and   for   the   reasons
stated   above,   the   present   appeals   succeed.
The   impugned   order   passed   by   the   High
Court   releasing   private   respondents   herein   –
original   accused   on   bail   is   hereby   quashed
and   set   aside.   Original   accused   are   directed
to surrender  before the concerned Court/Jail
authority   within   a   period   of   10   days   from
today and thereafter, the High Court to decide
and dispose of the bail application(s) afresh in
accordance   with   law   and   on   its   own   merits
and   after   perusing   and/or   taking   into
consideration   the   material/evidence   collected
during the investigation which are now a part
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of   the   chargesheet   and   upon   taking   into
consideration   the   relevant   aspects   which   are
required   to   be   kept   in   mind   while   examining
the prayer for bail. 
After   surrender,   the   High   Court   on
remand   to   decide   and   dispose   of   the   bail
application(s)   as   observed   hereinabove   at   the
earliest.   With   this   the   present   appeals   are
allowed.  
………………………………….J.
[M.R. SHAH]
………………………………….J.
[AHSANUDDIN AMANULLAH]
NEW DELHI;
MAY 04, 2023
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