IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH Crl. Misc. No. M- 24387 of 2010(O&M) Date of Decision: September 7, 2010. Iqbal Singh @Bhura ...... PETITIONER(s) Versus State of Punjab ...... RESPONDENT(s) Present: Mr. H.S.Diwana, Advocate for the petitioner. Mr. K.D.Sachdeva, Addl.A.G., Punjab. ***** RAM CHAND GUPTA, J.(Oral) CRM No. 43406 of 2010 Application is allowed subject to all just exceptions. Main The present petition has been filed for anticipatory bail under Section 438 of Code of Criminal Procedure in FIR No.24 dated 03.07.2010, under Sections 406/420/506 IPC, registered at Police Station Badali Aala Singh, District Fatehgarh Sahib. I have heard learned counsel for the parties and have gone through the whole record. CRM No.M-24387 of 2010 Brief allegations are that, petitioner is a travel agent and is doing the work of sending the people to foreign countries. Further allegations are that he received `50,000/- from the complainant and `50,000/- from another person, Gurmit Singh for sending them abroad after visiting the house of the complainant in the presence of Tarsem Singh, Ex-Sarpanch of village Kheri Bhai Ki, Tehsil and District Fatehgarh Sahib. He had taken `1,00,000/- and passports of the complainant and Gurmit Singh. However, neither they were sent abroad nor money was returned. The matter was got inquired from Economic Cell of the police by the Senior Superintendent of Police and thereafter, the present FIR was registered. It has been contended by learned counsel for the petitioner that he has been falsely implicated in this case and that rather he has been cheated. He has given an application to Senior Superintendent of Police, in this regard. Bail application has been opposed by learned counsel for the State on the plea that petitioner is a habitual offender and he is also involved in three other cases i.e. FIR No.93 dated 01.10.2001 under the Excise Act, P.S. Bassi Pathana, FIR No.166 dated 27.11.2009, under Sections 406/420 IPC, P.S. Bassi Pathana and FIR No.161 dated 01.11.2009, under Sections 307/332/353/186/323/148/149 IPC, P.S. Sirhind, District Fatehgarh Sahib. Allegations against the petitioner-accused are serious in nature. These types of incidents are on rise in the State of Punjab. Innocent people are being cheated by travel agents in the garb of sending them abroad. Hence, in view of these facts, it is not such a case in which extra- ordinary relief of anticipatory bail should be granted to the petitioner- accused. 2 CRM No.M-24387 of 2010 Hence, without expressing any opinion on the merit of the case, the instant application for anticipatory bail filed by petitioner – Iqbal Singh @Bhura is, hereby, dismissed being devoid of merit. ( RAM CHAND GUPTA ) September 7, 2010. JUDGE 'om' 3