Cr.Misc. M 23212 of 2011 1 IN THE HIGH COURT FOR THE STATES OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH. Cr.Misc. M 23212 of 2011 Date of decision: 16.12.2011 Sunder Singh petitioner vs State of Punjab respondent Present:- Mr. Deepak Aggarwal, Advocate. Mr. PS Bajwa, DAG, Pb Mr. Deepak Sibal, Advocvate. M.M.S.BEDI, J. The petitioner seeks the concession of pre-arrest bail in a case registered at the instance of Registrar, Punjabi University, Patiala alleging that the petitioner had withdrawn money from the bank account of hostel, which was operated under the signatures of Amandeep Singh, Warden. The allegation against the petitioner is that he had got cheque books issued from the bank on the basis of the forged signatures of Amandeep Singh and had withdrawn amount on different dates by forging the signatures of Amandeep Singh on the cheques. A sum of Rs. 4 lacs was allegedly got transferred by him in the account of Yadwinder Singh, who is a close associate of his brother-in-law. Learned counsel for the petitioner has vehemently contended that the petitioner was removed from service in the year 2008 and the alleged transactions are of the years 2009 to 2011. A perusal of the police file indicates that various cheques of series 560141 to 560160 have been Cr.Misc. M 23212 of 2011 2 used to withdraw the amounts. All these cheques appear to have been signed by the petitioner. The signatures on the cheques have not been found to be that of Amandeep Singh. Learned counsel for the petitioner has contended that the petitioner has been involved on the basis of misguided suspicion and that the petitioner did not have any occasion to access to the cheque books, which are allegedly used by the petitioner. The admission, which was allegedly made by the petitioner before the Panchayat, is a procured admission in order to falsely implicate the petitioner. The signatures of the petitioner on the cheques are not established to be that of the petitioner. It is argued that the petitioner has been made a scapegoat. I have heard learned counsel for the parties and carefully considered the arguments of counsel for the petitioner, besides going through the entire police file. The recoveries have been effected of the blank cheque books from the petitioner. The cheques purported to be signed by Amandeep Singh, Warden apparently bear fake signatures of Amandeep Singh. It is not a case of extra ordinary nature, where the matter can be investigated without the custodial interrogation of the petitioner. No ground is made out to grant the concession of pre-arrest bail to the petitioner. Dismissed. Nothing mentioned in this order will prejudice the right of the petitioner to seek the concession of regular bail. In case the petitioner surrenders before the Illaqa Magistrate, his application for bail will be decided by the court concerned expeditiously. December 16 , 2011 (M.M.S.BEDI ) TSM JUDGE Cr.Misc. M 23212 of 2011 3