A brief note of Bail in bailable and non-bailable offence

 

The word bail has been derived from the French word ‘bailer’, which means to deliver or give. The conditional release of an indicted from guardianship is nominated as bail. In other words, bail is the security for the indicted person. A person is assumed to be innocent unless proven guilty. Hence, an indicted shall not be deprived of particular liberty unless specified by a fair and just procedure.

 

Bail Provisions Under CrPC

 

The term ‘bail’ is nowhere defined in the Criminal Procedure Code, 1973. still, it has been defined in CrPC under sections 436- 450. The first schedule of CrPC also defines which offenses are bailable and which are not. Generally, on-bailable offenses are more heinous crimes.  

 

Bail in Bailable Offence  

 

A person other than a person indicted of an on-bailable offense may be released on bail under this section on similar terms as may appear reasonable to the police officer or the Court. A person released under this section by the police officer need not approach the Court for a fresh bail as held by the High Court of Rajasthan. But the Allahabad High Court has provided that a person released on bail by the police must seek fresh bail from the Court to appear before the Court.  

 

The power to release the indicted on bail under Sections 436 and 437 vests in the Court before whom he appears or is brought. The power of the Magistrate to grant bail doesn't depend upon his capability to try the case but on the discipline specified for the contended offense. thus, an Executive Magistrate has the power to grant bail only in respect of offenses punishable with a fine or imprisonment of up to three months.   It have been held several opinions that the conditions of the bail- bond shouldn't be unreasonable or overly harsh and rough to abate the purpose of bail. The quantum of bond or bail- bond shouldn't be too high it should be fixed keeping in view the circumstances of the case and the capacity of the indicted person.  

 

The object of granting bail is to secure the appearance of the indicted person to answer the charge at a specified time and place, Court while considering the bail operation should take into consideration the nature and graveness of the offense charged, the liability of the indicted’s involvement in it, the police report, the data stated in the solicitation as also the grounds of opposition to the entitlement of bail, etc.   It has been held that turndown to grant bail in violation of Section 436 will render the detention of the indicted illegal and the police officer causing similar detention may be held guilty of the offense of unlawful confinement under Section 342, IPC. 

 

Sub-section( 2) provides that where a person indicted of a bailable offense has been released on bail pending his trial; if he absconds or commits a breach of the condition of bail- bond or is set up to intimidation of, buying, or tampering with the execution  substantiation or indulging in any subversive act which is prejudicial to a fair trial, the High Court or the Court of Session may bring its essential power under Section 482 and beget similar person to be arrested and to be kept in guardianship canceling his bail- bond. The Court may also order recovery of penalty from the surety under Section 446 of the law.  

 

It has been held by the Bombay High Court that the order granting bail and incidental terms is basically an interim order that can able of revision as and when necessary. While granting bail, the Court has the power to circumscribe the movements of the indicted outside India and may direct him to surrender his passport.   The right to be released on bail in case of a bailable offense is a legal and indigenous right of the indicted person, turndown of this right is a curtailment of the right of particular liberty guaranteed by Article 21 of the Constitution of India and, thus, there should be no question of discretion in granting bail.  

 

In Rasiklal v. Kishore Khanchand Wadhwani[1], the indicted was released on bail for the offense of vilification which is a bailable offense. Held, the Court isn't bound to issue notice to the plaintiff and hear him before allowing the indicted his release on bail.   thus, the cancellation of bail of the indicted on the ground that the plaintiff wasn't heard and therefore principles of natural justice were violated was held not to be justified. The appeal was thus, allowed by the Apex Court.   [2]

 

436-A. The maximum period for which an undertrial prisoner can be detained  

 

Where a person has, during the period of disquisition, inquiry, or trial under this law of an offense under any law( not being an offense for which the discipline of death has been specified as one of the corrections under that law)  experienced detention for a period extending upto one- half of the maximum period of imprisonment specified for that offense under that law, he shall be released by the Court on his particular bond with or without sureties handed that the Court may, after hearing the Public Prosecutor and for reasons to be recorded by it in jotting, order the continued detention of a similar person for a period longer than one- half of the said period or release him on bail rather of the particular bond with or without sureties handed further that no similar person shall, in any case, be detained during the period of disquisition, inquiry or trial for further than the maximum period of imprisonment handed for the said offense under that law.

 

Explanation:

 

The duration of detention that has passed owing to the accused's delay in the proceeding is excluded from calculating the period of detention under this section for granting bail.

 

Comment:

 

This special provision has been added to the Code of Criminal Procedure to protect prisoners awaiting trial from arbitrary confinement that occasionally goes beyond the term of imprisonment that the offense committed by the undertrial is punishable under.

 

According to the clause, the court may release an undertrial on a personal bond with or without sureties if they have been detained for some time equal to up to half of the maximum sentence allowed for the offense they are accused of committing.

 

The Court may, however, order the continued detention for a longer period than one-half in exceptional cases for reasons to be recorded in writing. Where the proceedings have been delayed at the instance of the accused undertrial, such period of delay shall be excluded in computing the period of detention under this section.

 

How to get Bail in a Non-Bailable Offence?

 

Bail can be granted in non-bailable offenses by the courts. The personal liberty of the accused is also important for the law that’s why the Supreme Court laid down the rule of Bail, not jail. When it comes to non-bailable offenses, this rule is not generally followed, as in this case bail is not the matter of right of the accused but is a matter of discretion of the competent authority like the Court or police officer whether to grant bail or not and its entitlement depends upon certain circumstances. This composition will bandy all the situations and possibilities in which bail can be granted in a Non-Bailable Offence.

 

Circumstances in which Bail can be granted in a non-bailable offense

 

Bail is a matter of discretion of the Court in case of a non-bailable offense that is, an indicted person isn't automatically entitled to get released on bail after submission of sureties and bond. It's a matter of the discretion of the court and police officers to release them. The area of this discretion depends upon the following points of consideration or circumstances

 

• soberness of the Crime, as an illustration, if the offense is severe i.e., punishable with death or life imprisonment the chances of getting bail are less;

• Nature of the blameworthiness that is, whether the blameworthiness is severe, dependable, or mild;

• inflexibility of the discipline; short term, long term imprisonment; death judgment.

• Nature of substantiation; dependable or untrustworthy;

• threat of indicted absconding or fleeing if released

• threat of substantiations being tampered with;

• prolonged nature of Trial i.e., dragged trials beyond necessity;

• occasion for the aspirant to prepare his defense;

• Health, age, and coitus of the indicted i.e., a person may be released if he's under the age of 16 times, is a woman, a sick, or tender.

• Nature and graveness of the circumstances under which the offense is committed.

• Position and status of the indicted concerning substantiations i.e., whether he's in a position to dominate them on release.

• Interest of society and possibility of commitment to further offenses on release.

 

Who can grant bail in a non-bailable offense?

 

The magistrate or Police officer: When an accused person is arrested by the police, without a warrant, in a non-bailable offense, then the officer-in-charge of the police station or the magistrate, if brought before him, can release the accused under Section 437.

 

But if the offense is of a severe nature i.e., punishable with death or life imprisonment; or if the accused is a former, habitual, or repetitive criminal then the accused must not be released except if he is under the age of 16 years, is a woman, a sick or infirm or it appears to the Court that there are reasonable grounds to believe that accused have not committed the non-bailable offense.

 

Session or High Court: The High Court and Court of Session can grant bail even in the offenses
in which the magistrate cannot grant bail, on certain conditions which it deems fit in the social interest and interest of justice under Section 438. The Court of Session and High Court enjoy immense power regarding the bail.
[3]

 



[1] AIR 2009 SC 1341

[2] https://indiankanoon.org/doc/1675752/

[3] https://lawansweronline.com/blog/bail-in-non-bailable-offence/

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