IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH Crl. Misc No. M-32740 of 2008 Date of decision : 03.03.2009 Baldev Singh ....Petitioner V/s State of Punjab ....Respondent. BEFORE : HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE RAJAN GUPTA Present: Mr. Munish Kapila, Advocate for the petitioner. Mr. Shailesh Gupta, DAG Punjab. RAJAN GUPTA J. (ORAL) Prayer in this petitioner is for the grant of regular bail to the petitioner in case FIR No. 126 dated 16.6.2008 (Annexure P-1) registered under Section 420, 419, 465, 467, 468, 471, 448, 454 and 120-B IPC at police station Beas, Amritsar. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that in the instant case challan has already been presented in the court and charges have been framed. The petitioner is in custody since 15.08.2008. Counsel, therefore, submits that since trial is likely to take quite some time to conclude, no useful purpose would be served by keeping the petitioner behind bars pending trial. Learned counsel for the State has however, opposed the bail of the petitioner on the ground that allegations against the petitioner are serious in nature. Keeping in view the fact that offence alleged in the FIR are triable by the Magistrate and petitioner has already undergone incarceration Crl. Misc No. M-32740 of 2008 -2- for a period of 6 ½ months and the fact that trial may take some time to conclude, there being 17 prosecution witness, I am of the considered view that petitioner deserves to be enlarged on bail pending trial. Bail to the satisfaction of Sub Divisional Judicial Magistrate, Baba Bakala. 03.03.2009 (RAJAN GUPTA) Ajay JUDGE