IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM PRESENT : THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE K.T.SANKARAN FRIDAY, THE 25TH SEPTEMBER 2009 / 3RD ASWINA 1931 Bail Appl..No. 5325 of 2009() ----------------------------- CRIME NO.266/09 OF VELLARADA POLICE STATION .................... PETITIONER/ACCUSED NO.1 ------------------------------------------- ANTONY @ OLIVER ANTONY,S/O.OLIVER, ST.ANTONY'S HOUSE NEAR PULLUVILA VALIYAPALLY, KARUMKULAM VILLAGE,NEYYATTINKARA TALUK. BY ADV. SRI.M.R.SARIN SRI.M.R.SASITH RESPONDENT(S): --------------- STATE OF KERALA,REPRESENTED BY THE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR,HIGH COURT OF KERALA,ERNAKULAM. PUBLIC PROSECUTOR SRI.K.S.SIVAKUMAR THIS BAIL APPLICATION HAVING BEEN FINALLY HEARD ON 25/09/2009, THE COURT ON THE SAME DAY PASSED THE FOLLOWING: K.T.SANKARAN, J. --------------------------------------------- B.A.No.5325 of 2009 --------------------------------------------- Dated this the 25th day of September, 2009 ORDER This is an application for bail under Section 439 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The petitioner is accused No.1 in Crime No.266 of 2009 of Vellarada Police Station. 2. The offences alleged against the petitioner are under Sections 489B and 489C read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code. 3. The prosecution case is as follows: On 23.8.2009, secret information was received that the first accused was carrying counterfeit currency notes. On that day, the first accused was arrested while he was trying to purchase articles from the market using the counterfeit currency as if they were genuine currency notes. The prosecution case is that the fifth accused Babu belonging to Malappuram supplied the counterfeit currency notes to accused Nos.1 to 3. It is submitted by the learned Public Prosecutor that the accused persons are involved in a racket dealing with counterfeit currency notes. Accused Nos.2, 3 and 5 are not arrested so far. The petitioner was arrested on 23.8.2009 and he was remanded to judicial custody. BA No.5325/2009 2 4. The learned counsel for the petitioner submitted that the petitioner is in judicial custody since 23.8.2009 and there is no impediment in releasing him on bail. His continued detention is not required, submits the counsel. 5. The offences involving counterfeit currency notes are quite different from the offences where the victim is one person or are few persons. In the matter of counterfeit currency notes, the victims are the entire general public. Circulation of counterfeit currency affects the economy of the country. Such offences cannot be viewed lightly. In the present case, three of the accused persons are yet to be arrested. All the necessary data for a successful prosecution are to be collected. If the petitioner is released on bail at this stage, it would seriously affect the proper investigation of the case, as rightly pointed out by the learned Public Prosecutor. For the aforesaid reasons, I am of the view that the petitioner is not entitled to be released on bail at this stage. The Bail Application is accordingly dismissed. K.T.SANKARAN, JUDGE csl