IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB & HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH Criminal Misc. No. M-18169 of 2009 Date of decision : August 17, 2009 Madhu Sudan Grover ....Petitioner versus State of Punjab ....Respondent Coram: Hon'ble Mr. Justice L.N. Mittal Present : Ms Puja Chopra, Advocate, for the petitioner Mr. Gaurav Garg Dhuriwala, AAG Punjab with Mr. Sandeep Arora, Advocate, for the complainant L.N. Mittal, J. (Oral) Madhu Sudan Grover has filed this petition for bail in case FIR No. 67 dated 18.5.2009 under sections 406, 420 IPC, Police Station Division No. 1, Jalandhar. I have heard learned counsel for the parties and perused the case file. FIR against the petitioner was registered on source information and not at the instance of anybody aggrieved. It is alleged in the FIR that the petitioner was doing work of cycle repair, thereafter sale of lotteries, then sale of chappals and he mis-appropriated 7/8 lacs of various factories as there was no legal account of the same. All these allegations are vague, irrelevant, general and omnibus in nature, without any material to substantiate the same. Criminal Misc. No. M-18169 of 2009 -2- The main allegation thereafter is that the petitioner started lending money to general public at high rate of interest and used to get cheques from them as security, although the petitioner had no money lending licence. The petitioner also started business of chit funds and used to obtain blank cheques. The petitioner has filed complaints against different persons by filling in the blank cheques. Learned counsel for the petitioner contended that as per FIR, three persons against whom the petitioner filed complaints already stands convicted whereas 11 others have been declared as proclaimed offenders and it would show genuineness of the complaints filed by the petitioner against the so-called victims. Learned counsel for the petitioner also contended that three of the complainants effected compromise and therefore, the petitioner withdrew his complaints against those complainants vide Annexures P/2 to P/4. It is also contended that another complainant vide reply to notice Annexure P/5 admitted that he had taken loan of Rs 25,000/- from the petitioner although the petitioner in his notice has alleged that he had advanced a loan of Rs 30,000/-. It is accordingly, contended that the complainants had taken loan from the petitioner and issued cheques for the same and when the petitioner filed complaints against them, the instant FIR has been registered. Learned State counsel and learned counsel for the complainant vehemently contended that the petitioner has been cheating hundred of persons by filling in their blank cheques. However, this fact is to be determined during trial. The petitioner is in custody since 8.6.2009 i.e. for more than Criminal Misc. No. M-18169 of 2009 -3- two months and investigation has since been completed. Challan has been presented on 23.7.2009. The case is triable by Magistrate and the trial will take long time to conclude. No useful purpose will be served by detaining the petitioner indefinitely. In view of the aforesaid but without commenting anything on the merits, the instant bail petition is allowed. Bail to the satisfaction of learned Chief Judicial Magistrate/Duty Magistrate, Jalandhar. ( L.N. Mittal ) August 17, 2009 Judge 'dalbir'