JUDGEMENT
-
(1.) THE applicant has moved this Court for modification of the order passed
on 30th December 1998 while deciding the application being criminal
application no.4024 of 1998 wherein the applicant wants modification that
the conditions imposed on the applicant with regard to the permission to
leave India as well as the attendance on every Sunday at the police
station and prayed that the said order be suitably modified. The
applicant has annexed the order passed in Criminal application no.4024 of
1998 dtd. 30th Dec.1998 wherein the Court has while releasing the accused, imposed the conditions to the effect that the petitioner no.2
viz. Valibhai Mithiborwala shall not leave India without prior permission
from the police as well as subsequent order passed by my brother Justice
Pandya on 8th April 1999 on an application filed by the petitioner being
criminal misc. application no.1107 of 1999 and while deciding the said
application, the applicant was permitted to leave India on tour
undertaken by him. In this application, the applicant has also
highlighted about his business activities in para 3 and has averred that
the turnover of the company is about 20 corers per year, the company has
engaged in manufacturing of plywood of different kind and supplies mainly
to the Government and Railway Departments. While filing this application,
by way of interim relief, the applicant has prayed for permitting him to
go to Pakistan to visit his wife for a period of two weeks. This
application is pending since 1st May 1999 and matter was notified before
the vacation Court during the vacation on 21st May 1999. The copy of the
application is duly served to the office of Public Prosecutor.
Thereafter, the matter was notified before me for admission and even
considering the request, the matter was adjourned from time to time and
the matter was notified before me for hearing today. The application is
supported with an affidavit of applicant dated 19th May 1999 and the copy
is duly served to the office of the Public Prosecutor. No reply affidavit
is filed and accordingly, the Cuort is required to consider this
application on the strength of the papers attached to this application.
(2.) MR .Marwadi, the learned advocate appearing on behalf of the applicant has submitted that so for as the applicant-accused is concerned, he was
released on bail as per order passed in criminal application no.4024 of
1998 dated 30th Dec,1998. While imposing conditions, the applicant was ordered 'not to leave India without prior permission from the police'.
After the applicant was released on bail as per the bail order, the
application for seeking modification for permission to leave India was
moved by filing criminal application no.1107 of 1999 and after hearing
the said application, my brother Justice Patankar has allowed the said
application and permitted the applicant to leave India on tour undertaken
by him as mentioned in the order. On going through the order, it
transpired that the permission was sought for by the applicant as
applicant was to go for pilgrimage alongwith his wife at Karbala in Iraq.
Further details were also furnished about his tour. Accordingly, though
as per order passed while releasing the accused on bail, the applicant
was required to obtain permission from the police, this Court has
entertained the application and permitted the applicant to leave India.
During the hearing, Mr. Marwadi has produced the application submitted by the applicant in favour of Senior Inspector of Police, V.P.Road Police
Station, Mumbai dated 23rd June 1999 wherein the applicant has sought
permission to go abroad to Singapore, Burma and Indonesia for business
purpose. Alongwith the application, the applicant had also annexed copy
of the order dtd. 30th December 1998. The said copy is also received by
the concerned police officer. Till date, the officer has not replied to
the applicant meaning thereby that no decision is taken on the request
made by the applicant. In one hand, once the Court has while releasing
the accused on bail, imposed conditions to obtain permission from the
police authority and on the other hand, when such permission was sought
for from the police, the police is not taking steps. Accordingly, the
applicant has moved this Court for seeking modification of the order. As
observed earlier, even after the order passed on 30th Dec. 1998
application for seeking permission to leave India was entertained by this
Court while deciding the application being criminal application no.1107
of 1999. In fact, the applicant had also visited the said countries as
per the conditions imposed in the said order. According, this Court is
required to consider whether it is necessary for this Court to modify the
condition imposed on the applicant as prayed for in this application.
(3.) THE learned A.P.P. Mr.Shinde appearing for the respondent-State, has opposed this application and according to him, the applicant has sought
for permission by way of interim relief to go to Pakistan for a period of
two weeks and he opposed such permission and prayed that such permission
be rejected. However, I fail to appreciate the contention of the learned
A.P.P. because, in the main prayer of the applicant in this application
is that applicant wants modification of the conditions in respect of
attendance on every Sunday at the police station and also regarding
permission to leave India without permission of the police. This Court is
not required to examine the prosecution case as the applicant is already
released on bail. This Court is also not required to ignore about the
averments made by the applicant in this application in detail about his
business as highlighted in para no. 3 supported with affidavit of the
applicant. As observed earlier, no reply affidavit is filed and even the
applicant has move a Senior Police Inspector by seeking permission on
23rd June 1999, till date, he has not taken any decision on the said application as the applicant has not yet received any communication from
the said authority. With this background, this Court is required to allow
the application and modify the conditions imposed on the applicant while
releasing him on bail as per order dated 30th December 1998. The
condition regarding obtaining prior permission from the police is
redundant as the police authority is not entertaining such application.;
Click here to view full judgement.
Copyright © Regent Computronics Pvt.Ltd.