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PETITIONER: STATE OF ASSAM AND ANR.

       Vs.

RESPONDENT: R.K. KRISHNA KUMAR AND ORS., SAEED KIDWAI AND ORS.

DATE OF JUDGMENT:       24/10/1997

BENCH: M.K. MUKHERJEE, K.T. THOMAS

ACT:

HEADNOTE:

JUDGMENT:                             WITH               CRIMINAL APPEAL NO. 1005 OF 1997         (Arising out of SLP (Crl.) No. 3163 of 1997)                             WITH               CRIMINAL APPEAL NO. 1006 OF 1997         (Arising out of SLP (Crl.) No. 3262 of 1997)                       J U D G M E N T Thomas, J.      Leave granted.      State of  Assam and its Director General of Police have filed these  appeals challenging  the orders  of the  Bombay High Court  as per  which some officers of M/s Tata Tea Ltd. (who  are   arrayed  as  respondents  herein)  were  granted anticipatory  bail   facility.   It   appears   that   those respondents are  suspected to  have given  aid  to  militant groups which  have been  banned under  the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. Assam Police are wanting to  interrogate all the suspected persons, including the respondents,  in connection  with investigation  of  the cases registered  for the  above crimes  by the  appellants. Respondents moved  the Bombay  High Court  for  anticipatory bail and  a learned  Single Judge, without even affording an opportunity to  the appellants  for a  hearing directed  the appellants to  release the respondents, if arrested, on bail of Rs.  10,000/- each  with one  or two sureties of the like amount.      Various arguments  have  been  raised  by  Shri  K.T.S. Tulsi, learned  counsel appearing  for  the  appellants,  in challenge of  the impugned orders. Learned counsel appearing for  the   respondents,  while   arguing  in  reply  to  the appellants’ contention  did not  dispute that  Government of Assam or  the Director  General of  Police of  the State  of Assam were not heard, in spite of they being made parties in each of the applications for anticipatory bail.      According to  Shri Tulsi, only the Courts of Session in Assam and  High  Court  of  Guwahati  have  jurisdiction  to entertain the  applications for anticipatory bail in respect of the  activities alleged against the respondents vis-a-vis the two  banned organizations  because all  such crimes were committed within  the territorial  limits of  the  State  of

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Assam.      We do  not think  it necessary to decide whether Bombay High Court  has jurisdiction  to entertain  the applications filed by  the respondents.  All the  same, the  question  of granting anticipatory  bail to  any person  who is allegedly connected  with  the  offences  in  question  must  for  all practical purposes  be  considered  by  the  High  Court  of Guwahati  within   whose   territorial   jurisdiction   such activities should  have been  perpetrated. In  view  of  the conceded position that appellants were not heard by the High Court we set aside the impugned orders on that ground alone. The applicants  are to  be disposed  of  after  hearing  the appellants  also.   For  that  purpose  we  order  that  the applications for  anticipatory bail filed by the respondents would stand  transferred to the High Court of Guwahati where those applications  would be  heard by  a Division  Bench of that High Court and appropriate orders be passed thereon. We request of  Chief Justice of High Court of Guwahati to allot these cases  to a  Division bench  to hear the applications, preferably on 4.11.1997.      In order  to avoid  conflicting decisions and opinions, we  think   it  necessary  that  all  future  petitions  for anticipatory bail  made by  any one  in  common  or  related matters referring  to such  activities committed  within the territorial limits  of Guwahati  High Court  shall be  heard only by  the same  Division Bench. We further direct that no such application  for anticipatory bail shall be entertained by any court other than the Division Bench of the High Court of Guwahati indicated above.      Status-quo as  on  today  will  be  maintained  by  the appellants vis-a-vis  the respondents  herein till 7.11.1997 which is  necessary to enable the Division Bench of the High Court  of   Guwahati  to  pass  appropriate  orders  on  the applications filed by the respondents.      We direct  the Registry  to  take  immediate  steps  to ensure that  the applications  filed by  the respondents for anticipatory bail  in Bombay  High Court  are despatched  to Guwahati High  Court so  as to  reach  there  on  or  before 3.11.1997.      The appeals are thus disposed of.