Criminal Misc.-M No. 21643 of 2011 [1] IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH Date of decision: 14.10.2011 (1) Criminal Misc.-M No. 21643 of 2011 (O&M) Sarabjit Singh .. Petitioner Vs. State of Punjab .. Respondent (2) Criminal Misc.-M No. 21658 of 2011 (O&M) Sulakhan Singh .. Petitioner Vs. State of Punjab .. Respondent CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE RAJESH BINDAL Present: Mr. R. S. Bains, Advocate for the petitioner in Criminal Misc.-M No. 21643 of 2011. Mr. Ranjan Lakhanpal, Advocate for the petitioner in Criminal Misc.-M No. 21658 of 2011. Mr. P. S. Bajwa, Deputy Advocate General, Punjab. ... Rajesh Bindal J. This order will dispose of the above-mentioned two petitions, as the same arise out of one FIR. The petitioners are accused in FIR No. 118 dated 11.6.2011, registered under Sections 419/420/465/467/468/471/120-B IPC and Section 12 of the Passports Act, 1967, Police Station, Navi Baradari, Criminal Misc.-M No. 21643 of 2011 [2] Jalandhar. The allegations are that the accused in connivance with each other had got passports of the wife and children of Paramjit Singh, who is living abroad for the last 25 years issued in India, even though his wife and one child had left India about 20 years ago and second son was born abroad. They had never visited India thereafter. The petitioner in Criminal Misc.-M No. 21643 of 2011 is the brother of Paramjit Singh, whereas petitioner in Criminal Misc.-M No. 21658 of 2011 is Numberdar, who identified the applicants of the passports. Learned counsel for the petitioner in Criminal Misc.-M No. 21643 of 2011 submitted that the petitioner has been falsely implicated. There are no allegations against him. He has been arrayed as an accused only because Paramjit Singh is his brother. He has no connection with the family ever since they left India. Learned counsel for the petitioner in Criminal Misc.-M No. 21658 of 2011 submitted hat the petitioner herein is merely a Numberdar. He had identified the right persons as the wife and children of Paramjit Singh, residents of village Maluwal Kalan. He had nothing to gain. He had acted bonafidely. He further submitted that passports are not issued merely on the initial filing of application with attestation or identification. Police verification is also required subsequently. The fact that even on that verification, the contents of the application were certified to be correct, shows connivance of some police officials as well. On the other hand, learned counsel for the State submitted that it is a case in which Paramjit Singh is a Proclaimed Offender. His family on the date of filing of applications for passports was living abroad but still the accused persons got the passports issued by impersonation. The offence being heinous, they are not entitled to pre-arrest bail, as there may be other cases in which they may have connived with each other for getting passports issued to other persons under similar circumstances. After hearing learned counsel for the parties and considering the allegations in the FIR, where admittedly the passports were got issued in India of the wife of Paramjit Singh, a proclaimed offender since 1985, and his children, though they are living abroad, the petitioners being his Criminal Misc.-M No. 21643 of 2011 [3] brother and Numberdar, who attested the forms and identified the applicants, their custodial interrogation is required. Accordingly, the present petitions are dismissed. (Rajesh Bindal) Judge 14.10.2011 mk