IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH Crl. Misc No. M-31045 of 2008 Date of decision : 26.02.2009 Bhola Masih ....Petitioner V/s State of Punjab ....Respondent. BEFORE : HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE RAJAN GUPTA Present: Mr. Jeetinder Pal Singh, Advocate for the petitioner. Mr. Shailesh Gupta, DAG Punjab. RAJAN GUPTA J. (ORAL) Learned counsel for the petitioner has prayed for bail in case FIR No. 151 dated 9.7.2003 under Section 224/225/506 IPC registered against the petitioner at police station City Abohar, District Ferozepur. Counsel for the petitioner submits that petitioner has been in custody since 25.06.2008 and no useful purpose would be served by keeping him in custody during the pendency of the trial. Counsel, therefore, prays that petitioner be released on bail as nothing is to be recovered from the petitioner and the trial will likely to take sufficient time to conclude. Counsel further submits that petitioner never intended to evade the law and abscond from justice. In fact an application was moved for his exemption from personal appearance but the same was declined by the trial court vide order dated 4.12.2007. Learned counsel for the State has however, vehemently opposed the bail application of the petitioner and pointed out that petitioner was also declared as proclaimed offender in case bearing FIR No 173 Crl. Misc No. M-31045 of 2008 -2- dated 26.6.2000 under Sections 406/120-B IPC registered at police station Peeli Banga, District Hanumangarh, Rajasthan. After the petitioner was arrested in the said case, family members of the petitioner attacked the police party and the petitioner fled from the police custody. According to the counsel, thereafter, present FIR was registered against the petitioner. However, in this case also, petitioner jumped bail and was declared proclaimed offender on 13.3.2008 by the trial court. He further contends that next date before the trial court is 17.03.2009. He has made this statement on instruction from ASI Manjit Singh, who is present in Court. In view of the fact that conduct of the petitioner is such that he has been repeatedly trying to evade the law and abscond from justice, I do not find it a fit case for grant of bail to the petitioner. Accordingly, the instant petition for grant of bail stands dismissed. 26.02.2009 (RAJAN GUPTA) Ajay JUDGE