Delhi HC grants pre-arrest bail to history-sheeter in forgery case

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has granted anticipatory bail to a history-sheeter in a case concerning the submission of forged and fabricated documents by him for issuance of a passport, directing that he join the investigation whenever required.

Justice Rajnish Bhatnagar said that since the case was based on documents which are already in the custody of the investigating agency, including the passport in question, custody of the petitioner-accused, Tejinder Pal Singh, was not required.

Nothing was placed on record to show that the petitioner indulged in illegal activities while he was abroad and that he had any connection with any terrorist organization, the court said.

"The prosecution has failed to place on record any illegal activity on the part of the petitioner which could be detrimental to the security of the State and the fact remains that the petitioner has not travelled abroad after 2013 as per the prosecution," the court said.

"It is evident that the petitioner has already handed over his original passports issued in the year 2005 as well as issued in the year 2015 in compliance of the letter dated 25 July, 2019 issued by the passport office Jaipur, so it cannot be said that the custody of the petitioner is required for the purposes of recovery of these passports," it added.

"The application is allowed and it is ordered that in the event of arrest, the petitioner be released on anticipatory bail on his furnishing a personal bond in the sum of Rs 50,000 with two sureties each of the like amount to the satisfaction of the IO/SHO concerned," ruled the court in its order dated September 3.