- (1.) Prayer in this petition is for grant of anticipatory bail to the petitioner, Parminder Singh, son of Ram Lal, resident of House No. 232, North State, Bathinda, permanent resident of Village Kakrali, Post Office, Gardiwala, Tehsil Gardiwala, District Hoshiarpur, who has been booked for having committed the offences punishable under Sections 323, 406, 498-A and 506, IPC, in a case arising out of FIR No. 1040, dated 16.12.2013, registered at Police Station, Civil Lines, Karnal.
(2.) Learned counsel contends that the petitioner was employed as an Assistant Professor in the Yadwindra College of Engineering (Punjabi University), at Guru Kashi Campus, Talwandi Sabo, Bathinda, while the complainant was working in Canara Bank, Chandigarh, and as such after their marriage which was solemnized on 24.2.2010 at Jalandhar, they decided to settle down at Chandigarh. The petitioner was employed at Bathinda and used to visit his wife at Chandigarh. After the transfer of the complainant-wife at Karnal, the petitioner never visited Karnal and, as such, the police at Karnal has no jurisdiction to register the case. He further contends that the ingredients of the offences for which the petitioner has been booked are not attracted in the present case. Learned counsel further pointed out that the FIR in the present case had been registered on the basis of the complaint filed before the learned Judicial Magistrate at Karnal. He further contends that in compliance of the order dated 10.1.2014, the petitioner has joined the investigation. It has also been contended that the present case was referred to the Mediation and Conciliation Centre of this Court, but the complainant did not agree to join the company of the petitioner. He further contends that in the morning the case was taken up at about 10:30 a.m. and the petitioner as well as the complainant were afforded time to sit with their respective advocates and resolve their dispute, but still the complainant is not ready to join the company of the petitioner.
(3.) Learned counsel for the State on instructions from SI Ram Kishan of Police Station, Civil Lines, Karnal, submits that in compliance of the order dated 10.1.2014, the petitioner has joined the investigation. He further submits that part recovery of the dowry articles has been effected, however, few gold ornaments are still to be recovered from him.;