IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM PRESENT : THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE R.BASANT TUESDAY, THE 14TH AUGUST 2007 / 23RD SRAVANA 1929 Bail Appl..No. 4946 of 2007() ----------------------------- CMP.6204/2007 of J.M.F.C.-II,NEYYATTINKARA CRIME NO.318/2007 OF PARASSALA POLICE STATION .................... PETITIONER/ACCUSED ------------------------------------ MANSE KUMAR RAI, S/O. ASERBHI RAJ, BISAHI GRAMAM, DO GIPARASA POST OFFICE, BOJIPARSA PANCHAYAT, BISAHI TALUK, CHABRA DISTRICT, BIHAR STATE. BY ADV. SRI.SOJAN MICHEAL SRI.M.K.DAMODARAN (SR.) RESPONDENTS: COMPLAINANT ------------------------- STATE OF KERALA, REPRESENTED (S.I. OF POLICE PARASSALA), BY THE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR, HIGH COURT OF KERALA, ERNAKULAM. BY PUBLIC PROSECUTOR SRI.S.U.NAZER THIS BAIL APPLICATION HAVING COME UP FOR ADMISSION ON 14/08/2007, THE COURT ON THE SAME DAY PASSED THE FOLLOWING: R.BASANT, J. ---------------------- B.A.No.4946 of 2007 ---------------------------------------- Dated this the 14th day of August 2007 O R D E R Application for regular bail. The petitioner is the sole accused shown in the F.I.R. The crux of the allegations is that certain blank forms were stolen from the motor vehicles authorities in West Bengal. On coming to know the theft, they intimated all check posts in the country about the possibility of misuse of such blank stolen forms. The check posts in the State were also alerted. While so, a vehicle driven by the petitioner herein came to the check post at Parassala with 5 Santro cars in the container. Verification of the documents led the authorities to the conclusion that the blank forms stolen were being misutilised for transport of those cars. The petitioner was detained. He was interrogated. He was arrested and continues in custody from 2/8/2007. 2. The learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the petitioner is absolutely innocent. He has nothing to do with the theft or the alleged forgeries. He has been discharging his duties only as a driver. He had no inkling that the forms handed over to him were stolen or misutilised by anyone. In these circumstances, the petitioner may be enlarged on bail by now, B.A.No.4946/07 2 submits the learned counsel for the petitioner. The learned Public Prosecutor opposes the application. The learned Public Prosecutor submits that in a serious crime like this, the investigating officer may be given reasonable further time to further proceed on the clues provided by the arrested accused on interrogation. The information furnished by him will have to be cross-checked. The investigators had hardly received about ten days time to complete the investigation. Investigating officers must be given further time to work the clues provided by the petitioner to complete the investigation. I am certainly not satisfied that the petitioner deserves to be enlarged on bail at this early stage of investigation. 3. In the result, this petition is dismissed. However, I may hasten to observe that the petitioners shall be at liberty to move this court or the courts below for bail again at later stages of the investigation not, at any rate, prior to 25/08/2007. The investigating officer shall, in the meantime, make every endeavour to complete the investigation. (R.BASANT, JUDGE) jsr // True Copy// PA to Judge B.A.No.4946/07 3 B.A.No.4946/07 4 R.BASANT, J. CRL.M.CNo. ORDER 21ST DAY OF MAY2007