Crl. Misc. No. M-31060 of 2010 1 IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH Crl. Misc. No. M-31060 of 2010 Date of Decision: November 9, 2010 Chattar Singh and another ........Petitioners Versus State of Punjab ........Respondent ****** CORAM : HON'BLE MRS. JUSTICE SABINA Present : Dr. Sushil Gautam, Advocate, for the petitioners. SABINA, J. Petitioners have filed this petition under Section 438 of the Code of Criminal Procedure for grant of anticipatory bail in case FIR No.93 dated 5.8.2010, under Sections 7/8/13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 read with Section 384 of Indian Penal Code, registered at Police Station Budhlada City, District Mansa. The contents of the FIR as reproduced in para 2 of the petition read as under :- “Copy of statement of Naval Kumar S/o Sat Narain Aggarwal R/o Avenue near FCI Godown Budhlada aged above 42 years. I am the resident of aforementioned address and I on a shop of RO near Roada Fhatak. Indu D/o Mitthu Ram Caste Pandit R/o near Harnek School Budhlada is known to me. She keeping meeting me often. Crl. Misc. No. M-31060 of 2010 2 In the morning of 29.07.2010 I received a phone call from Indu that I have some domestic problem. I want to have some discussions with you in isolation. I told her that house of Mintu son of my maternal uncle Krishan Kumar R/o Ahmedpur is there at Bara Naure, near baltia wala karkhana, you come there. I will also come there. Time at around 10.15 AM again Indu rang me up that I have reached, you come at the earliest. After around 5-7 minutes I reached there. When we were entering the house then press reporter Chatra and Ram Rattan Bansal Press Reporter of Jag Bani started saying after instigating other people of Mohalla that you are doing wrong things here. I folded my hands before them and told them that Indu got has a domestic problem, you can ask by yourself. In don't do anything wrong. But no body agreed with me. Ram Rattan Bansal Press Reporter took me to one side and said that police and other press reporter come to know about it now this cannot be sorted out without money. I promised him to pay money and escaped (Khisk gya) from there. Then straightway I went to Mr. Satish Kumar S/o Charan Dass R/o Railway Road Budhlada who is owning a shop namely Aggarwal Gun House and is a friend of mine where Sukhvinder Singh @ Subash S/o Lal Chand, Khattri R/o Budhlada was also sitting. I told them everything. Sukhwinder Singh told me that don't worry I have good links in the Police Station Crl. Misc. No. M-31060 of 2010 3 and the press reporters are also from our city. I will manage myself with the press reporters then I went from there. At around 4 PM on that very day, Satish Kumar called me in his shop and when I went there then at the shop Satish Kumar and Sukhwinder Singh were present. In the meantime Press Reporter Chattra who is a handicapped from leg, Press Reporter Tony alongwith him who is the photographer of News Paper Ajit and Press Reporter Swarn Rahi came. In front of Subash Kumar and Satish Kumar these press reporters said that we will not publish any news about you in the newspaper, you give us Rs.30000/-. With them I reached to an agreement for Rs.20,000/-. In front of Subash Kumar and Satish Kumar, I gave Rs.10,000/- to Press Reporter Chattar and Rs.5000/- to each to Press Reporter Tony and Swarn Rahi. Then Sukhwinder @ Subash that police has also come to know about you. You give me Rs.20,000/- for the SHO. Then I paid Rs.20,000/- to Sukhwinder Singh. After taking the money he went from there and I also came to my shop. After around 1 hour Sukhwinder Singh came to my shop and told me that SHO Sahib has gone to Bathinda. I have given Rs.6000/- to Munshi and Rs.5000/- to Panchayat member Bindri because Bindri was saying that I have also left my Job and I will make the family members of Indu understand. Rs.11000/- more asked form me which I had given later on. Next day Crl. Misc. No. M-31060 of 2010 4 Bansal press reporter and Manchanda press reporter at around 10 AM came to my shop and said you have settled with press reporter with Chattara now you talk to us. I ask them as to what is to be given to them. Then they said that you have paid Rs.20,000/- to them you pay Rs.20,000/- to us also. I called for Rs.20,000/- after telling everything to my brother Varinder Parkash. I gave Rs.10,000/- after taking it from Varinder Parkash and they went from there. My brother have told me that telephone had come from the Police Station that the money which you have send for us is less, you have to send some more. Uptill now I have spent Rs.71,000/- and still the press reporter are blackmailing me for paying more rupees. I tis requested that I be saved from the clutches of these people. I have got the statement recorded, heard it and is correct. Sd/- Naval Kumar.” After hearing the learned counsel for the petitioners, I am of the opinion that no ground for grant of anticipatory bail to the petitioners is made out. The allegations levelled against the petitioners are serious in nature. Petitioners have been blackmailing the complainant and have been asking for more money from the complainant for hushing up the matter. Petitioners might be required for custodial interrogation. Dismissed. (SABINA) November 9, 2010 JUDGE Anand