1 ABA-21.11 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY APPELLATE SIDE  CRIMINAL CRIMINAL APPLICATION NO.21 OF 2011 Theo Francis Rodrigues .... Applicant Vs. State of Maharashtra .... Respondent S/Shri S.V. Marwadi with S.S. Redekar for the Applicant. Shri J.P. Kharge, APP, for the State. CORAM: R.C. CHAVAN, J. DATED: JANUARY 18, 2011 P.C: 1. This is an application for anticipatory bail by Theo Francis Rodrigues who had himself given a report to the police on 8-5-2008 about cheque No.824430 for Rs.26,00,000/-. It appears from the papers of the investigation made available for my perusal by the learned APP that the applicant was doing business in partnership with one Shankar Nar. Cheque was issued by this partnership firm in favour of one Muskit Patrick Thomas. This cheque was deposited in the account of Muskit Patrick Thomas. It was cleared and necessary credit was given to the person concerned. On 21-4-2008 2 ABA-21.11 cheque of Rs.5,00,000/-, drawn on the said account of Muskit Patrick Thomas in favour of Rapid Steel Corporation came for clearing and was cleared by the Bank as the signatures tallied. Thereafter, two persons came with two bearer cheques drawn on the account of the said Muskit Patrick Thomas which aroused suspicion of the Branch Manager Shri V.B. Patil. He asked the holders of the bearer cheques to bring the account holder. When the account holder was contacted, he agreed that the photograph on the account opening form was his but denied that the ration card, etc., was furnished by him. He also denied the signatures on the account opening form. Therefore, the bank froze the account which contained a sum of Rs.21,00,000/- and informed the police. It is not clear as to how the applicant's presence in custody for the purpose of investigation into this muddle is required by the police. In view of this, in the event of his arrest the applicant be released on bail in C.R. No.I-216/2008 of Virar Police Station, District Thane on his furnishing P.R. Bond in the sum of Rs.25,000/- with one or more solvent sureties in the sum aggregating to Rs. 25,000/- on the condition that the applicant shall report at the police station concerned on 20-1-2011 at 10:00 a.m. for interrogation and 3 ABA-21.11 thereafter as and when required by the I.O.. The applicant shall not, directly or indirectly, make any inducement, threat or promise to any person acquainted with the facts of the case so as to dissuade him/her from disclosing such facts to the Court or to any police officer and he shall not leave the country without the prior permission of the trial Court. 2. This order shall remain in force till the trial is over with the only stipulation that if charge-sheeted, the applicant may furnish fresh bond before the trial Court in view of the Judgment of the Supreme Court, dated 2-12-2010, delivered in Criminal Appeal No.2271 of 2010, arising out of SLP (Cri.) No. 7615 of 2009 {Siddharam Satlingappa Mhetre v. State of Maharashtra & Ors.}. 3. The application accordingly stands disposed of. (R.C. CHAVAN, J.)