IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION APPLICATION NO. 2544 OF 2009 1. Nurudeen Awerora ) 2. Jamiu Adeoye )........ Applicants versus The State of Maharashtra ........Respondent. Mr. Akhilesh Choubey & Alok Singh with Mahesh Prajapati i/b ABC & Associates adv. For the Applicants Mrs. M.H. Mhatre APP for the State. CORAM: A. P DESHPANDE, J. DATED : 20th July, 2009. P. C.: 1. Heard. The applicants are Nigerian citizens and are arrested by Malad police station on 29-1-2009 for offences under sec. 420, 465, 467, 468, 471 and 34 of IPC. According to the prosecution the applicants were apprehended when they were attempting to use the bogus and fabricated credit and debit cards which were prepared and swapped. The applicants were also found to be in possession of various credit cards and golden ornaments. Along with the present applicants, two other accused who were also arrested, came to be released on bail. However the present applicants are denied bail on the ground that they are not Indian citizens and that the passports of the applicants seized from them were sent for verification to the Ministry of External affairs, Government of India. The learned APP on instructions from the investigating officer, makes a statement that the verification report has been received from the concerned Ministry which is dated 21-5-2009. The learned APP makes a categorical statement that the passports of the applicants are found to be genuine. However the second Visa of applicant no.1 is fake which is dated 29-9-2008. The applicants are ready to abide by the conditions imposed by the court. The charge sheet is already filed. The passports on its seizure are in possession of the prosecution. In view of the fact that the applicants are in custody for last six months and in view of the grant of bail to similarly situated accused by the Sessions Court, I deem it appropriate to release the present applicants on bail on execution of P. R. bond in the sum of Rs. one lac each with one or more sureties from local sureties in the like amount. The applicant shall intimate Malad police station their residential address within a period of one week from today. The Investigating officer is permitted to retain the passports of the applicants during trial. The applicants shall attend Malad police station once a fortnight on every Saturday between 5 to 7 p.m. Application is thus disposed of. (A. P. Deshpande, J.)