CRM No.12221 of 2011.doc - 1 - HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH **** CRM No.M-12221 of 2011 (O&M) Date of Decision: 25.05.2011 **** Arjan Singh . . . . Petitioner VS. State of Punjab . . . . Respondent **** CORAM : HON’BLE MR.JUSTICE SURYA KANT **** 1. Whether Reporters of local papers may be allowed to see the judgment? 2. To be referred to the Reporters or not? 3. Whether the judgment should be reported in the Digest? **** Present: Mr. Sandeep Bhardwaj, Advocate for the petitioner Mr. MC Berry, Addl. AG Punjab **** SURYA KANT J. (ORAL) (1). The petitioner seeks pre-arrest bail in the case FIR No.85 dated 03.09.1998 under Sections 419/420/468/471/120-B IPC and Section 13(1)d read with Section 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act registered at PS Vigilance Bureau Jalandhar now PS Vigilance Bureau, Amritsar. (2). The petitioner, at the time of registration of the FIR, was posted as District Revenue Officer and retired from service in the year 2002. (3). The original Passport produced by the petitioner under the orders of this Court reveal that after retirement he started visiting abroad for long durations in order to escape the trial. CRM No.12221 of 2011.doc - 2 - (4). The petitioner was declared a proclaimed offender (PO) in the year 2004. It is only after acquittal of his co-accused on 10th May, 2010 that he (petitioner) has decided to appear before the Court and seek his own acquittal. Since he has been declared PO that the petitioner seeks pre-arrest bail. (5). Having heard learned counsel for the petitioner and on perusal of the record including the entries in the Passport I am of the considered view that the concession of pre-arrest bail cannot be granted to the petitioner who has been declared PO. The petitioner was a senior official and has shown scant respect to the law. (6). In these circumstances I do not find it a fit case to grant pre-arrest bail to the petitioner. (7). Dismissed. (8). However, if the petitioner surrenders before the trial Court and moves an application for regular bail, the trial Court, having regard to the age of the petitioner and the fact that his co-accused has been acquitted, shall consider his application sympathetically within two days of its submission. Suffice it to mention here that in the event of grant of regular bail to the petitioner, he shall furnish heavy bail bonds to the satisfaction of the trial Court (9). Dasti . 25.05.2011 vishal shonkar (S u r y a K a n t) Judge CRM No.12221 of 2011.doc - 3 -