Reportable

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA CRIMINAL APPELALTE JURISDICTION

CRIMINAL APPEAL NO.1732 OF 2009 (Arising out of S.L.P.(Crl.) No.8565/2008)

Hazari Lal Das .. Appellant

Versus

State of West Bengal & Anr.              ..Respondents

O R D E R

R.M. LODHA, J.

Leave granted.

2. On  the  basis  of  the  complaint  made  by  

Jayanta Naskar,  Secretary,  Sambhunagar  High School,  

P.O. Sambhunagar, a  First Information Report being  FIR  

No.50/2008  was  lodged   on  May  30,  2008   under  

Sections  403,  409,  420,  467/34  IPC,  at  Police  Station  

Gosaba, District 24 Parganas (South).  It is alleged that  

appellant  who  is   Headmaster  of  Sambhunagar  High  

School opened a bank account  No. 0855010083094 with

the U.B.I., Lalbazar Branch,  Kolkata on April 30, 2008;  

that  the appellant    introduced his  servant  Gour  Dhara  

as a secretary of the school; that the said account was  

opened  jointly with his servant  and that he deposited a  

cheque of Rs.6,00,000/-  which had come to the school  

from  Sports  and  Youth  Services  (Sports  Wing),  

Government  of  West  Bengal,  with  an  intention  to  

misappropriate the said amount. It is also alleged that the  

said  account  was opened by the appellant without any  

resolution of the Managing Committee of the school and  

that he submitted  false and forged copy of   the minutes  

of the meeting No.15  dated April 26, 2008  with the seal  

of the Headmaster, Sambhunagar High School.   

3. The  appellant  made  an  application  for  

anticipatory bail  under Section 438 of Code of Criminal  

Procedure,  1973  before  the  Sessions  Judge,  Alipore,  

District 24 Parganas (South).

4. Learned  Sessions  Judge  (I/C)  after  hearing  

the counsel for the  appellant and the Public Prosecutor  

enlarged the appellant on anticipatory  bail   vide Order  

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dated July 3, 2008.  It was ordered that in the event  of  

arrest, the appellant shall be released on anticipatory bail  

of Rs.5,000/- with two sureties of  Rs.2,500/- each; one of  

such surety  shall  be local.  The Sessions Judge  (I/C)  

also  put  a  condition  that  the  appellant  shall  attend the  

police station once in a week for eight  weeks. He also  

imposed  usual conditions  as laid down  in Section 438  

(2) Cr.P.C.  

5. The complainant – Jayant Naskar approached  

the High Court for cancellation of anticipatory bail granted  

by  the  Sessions  Judge  (I/C)  to  the  appellant.   By  the  

impugned  order  dated  September   18,  2008,  the  High  

Court  cancelled  the  anticipatory  bail  granted  by  the  

Sessions Judge (I/C).

6. On  December  12,  2008  this  Court  while  

issuing  notice  stayed   the  operation   of  the  impugned  

order.   The  order  of  Sessions  Judge  (I/C)  granting  

anticipatory bail,  thus, has  remained operative.

7. We heard  the learned counsel for the parties  

and perused the order of the High Court.

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8. Although  the  High  Court  did  notice  in  the  

impugned order that the  considerations which should be  

in the mind of  the court  while considering the prayer for  

grant  of  bail  are  not  the  same  for  the  purpose  of  

cancellation of bail, yet  we find that  these considerations  

were not  kept  in mind  and the order of the Sessions  

Judge granting  anticipatory bail was set aside.

9. In Dolat Ram  And Ors. vs.  State of Haryana,  

(1995) 1 SCC 349, this Court held:

“4.  Rejection  of  bail  in  a  non-bailable  case  at  the  initial  stage and the cancellation of  bail  so granted,  have  to  be  considered  and  dealt  with  on  different  basis. Very cogent and overwhelming circumstances  are necessary for an order directing the cancellation  of the bail, already granted. Generally speaking, the  grounds  for  cancellation  of  bail,  broadly  (illustrative  and  not  exhaustive)  are:  interference  or  attempt  to  interfere  with  the  due  course  of  administration  of  justice or evasion or attempt to evade the due course  of justice or abuse of the concession granted to the  accused in any manner. The satisfaction of the court,  on the basis of material placed on the record of the  possibility of the accused absconding is yet  another  reason  justifying  the  cancellation  of  bail.  However,  bail  once  granted  should  not  be  cancelled  in  a  mechanical manner without considering whether any  supervening  circumstances  have  rendered  it  no  longer conducive to a fair trial to allow the accused to  retain his freedom by enjoying the concession of bail  during the trial. These principles, it appears, were lost  sight of by the High Court when it decided to cancel  the bail, already granted. The High Court it appears to  us overlooked the distinction of the factors relevant for  

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rejecting  bail  in  a  non-bailable  case  in  the  first  instance and the cancellation of bail already granted.”

10. There is  nothing on record   that  there has  

been  interference  or  attempt  to  interfere  with  the  due  

course of administration of justice by the appellant. It also  

does not appear from the record  that concession granted  

to him has been  abused in any manner.  No supervening  

circumstances  have  surfaced  nor   shown   justifying  

cancellation  of  anticipatory  bail.   The  judicial  discretion  

exercised  by  the  Sessions  Judge  in  granting  the  

anticipatory  bail  has  been  interfered  with  by  the  High  

Court  in  the  absence  of  cogent  and  convincing  

circumstances.  We are, thus, satisfied that the impugned  

order cannot be sustained.

11. Accordingly,  appeal  must  succeed  and  is  

allowed.   The impugned order dated September 18, 2008  

is set aside.  The appellant shall  attend Gosaba Police  

Station once in a week as directed by Sessions Judge  

until  completion of investigation.  He is also directed to  

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fully cooperate with the Investigating Officer and produce  

the entire record available with him.

……………………..J (Tarun Chatterjee)

……………………..J (R.M. Lodha)

New Delhi,  September 8, 2009

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