IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH Crl. Misc. No. M-14764 of 2011 (O&M) Date of Decision: May 17, 2011 Ajmer Singh . ….Petitioner Versus State of Punjab. … Respondent CORAM: HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE ALOK SINGH 1. Whether reporters of local news papers may be allowed to see judgment? 2. To be referred to reporters or not? 3. Whether the judgment should be reported in the Digest? Present: Mr. Raj Kumar Gupta, Advocate, for the petitioner. Alok Singh, J. (Oral) Notice of motion. On being asked, Mr. K.D. Sachdeva, learned Additional Advocate General, Punjab, accepts notice on behalf of the respondent-State. With the consent of the learned counsel for the petitioner, as well as, learned Additional Advocate General, Punjab, present petition is being disposed of finally. Record reveals that co-accused Ram Niwas was enlarged on regular bail vide order dated 21.03.2011 on the Crl. Misc. No.M-14764 of 2011 ground that accused is in judicial custody w.e.f. 18.07.2007, however, Investigating Officer Amarjit Singh and attesting witness Jaswant Singh are absconding in another criminal case registered against them, hence are not available to make statement in the present case in support of the prosecution story. This Court, while granting bail to co- accused Ram Niwas, has placed reliance on the judgment of the Hon’ble Apex Court in the matter of State of Kerala vs. Raneef reported in 2011 (1) R.C.R. (Criminal) 381 in which Hon’ble Apex Court has held that if trial is not likely to be concluded in near future, in the event of the rejection of the bail, time spent in the jail cannot be restored to the accused if ultimately accused is acquitted by the Trial Court, regular bail must be granted to the accused. Considering the totality of the facts and circumstances of the case, present petition is directed to be allowed in terms of order dated 21.03.2011 passed in Criminal Misc. No.M-4336 of 2011 – Ram Niwas vs. State of Punjab. May 17, 2011 ( Alok Singh ) vkd Judge 2