ORDER SHEET

IN THE HIGH COURT OF SINDH, KARACHI
 
Crl. Bail Application No.1306 of 2015

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Date              Order with signature of Judge

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Dated of hearing 27.10.2015

 

 

Syed Zulfiqar Haider Shah Advocate for Applicant.

 

Mr. Iqbal Awan APG Sindh for the State.

 

 

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Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi J;             This bail application is filed by the Applicant after rejection of his bail application vide order dated 16.09.2015 passed by the VIII Additional Sessions Judge, Karachi-South in Crl. Bail Application No.1809/2015.

 

            Facts of the case in nutshell are that the Applicant borrowed Rs.50,00,000/- (Rupees Fifty Lacs only) from the complainant and issued a cheque No.2622552 dated 15.05.2015 for the said amount and on its presentation before the bank said cheque was bounced.

 

Learned Counsel for the Applicant contended that the Applicant is absolutely innocent and has been falsely implicated by the complainant in the present case with malafide intention and ulterior motives. Learned Counsel for the Applicant further contended that said cheque was not issued by the complainant and it was stolen/misplaced for which applicant has already been lodged a report/complaint at concerned police station. He further contended that there is no business or any other type of dealing in exists with the complainant with the present applicant. He urged that the FIR was lodged with the delay of forty (40) days, which makes the case of the prosecution doubtful. Learned Counsel for the Applicant submitted that Applicant is ill and old aged about 55 years, therefore, he is also entitled for grant of  bail medical ground. He has placed reliance upon 2011 SCMR 1078 and YLR 2012 879.

 

Learned APG for State has vehemently opposed the grant of bail to the Applicant and submitted that the Applicant has defrauded the complainant for a huge amount and earlier he has committed same offence many times, which shows that he is habitual offender, therefore, he is not entitled for grant of bail at this stage.  He has relied upon 2009 SCMR 174.

 

I have heard Syed Zulfiqar Haider Shah Counsel for the Applicant, Mr. Iqbal Awan learned APG Sindh for State and perused the material available on record as well as case law with their assistance.   

           

According to the contents of Challan, during investigation the Investigating Officer verified the bounced cheque from the concerned bank whereupon the Bank Manager stated about closing and blocking of the account of the Applicant/accused, which shows the said cheque was issued by the Applicant deliberately after closing/blocking of his account. Admittedly, five FIRs viz. (1) No.134/2015 at P.S. Boat Basin, (2) No.382/2014 at P.S. Boat Basin, (3) No.350/2014 at P.S. Ferozabad, (4) No.204/2014 at PS. Gizri and (5) No.373/2014 at P.S. Gizri, have been lodged in one and same section i.e. 489-F PPC, which shows that applicant is habitual offender of cheating and defrauding the innocent people by borrowing huge amount from them and issuing cheques of closed and blocked account.

 

According to learned Counsel, a complaint (entry in roznamcha) of theft of cheques was made at P.S. Boat Basin on 26.04.2013 but surprisingly no numbers of stolen cheques have been mentioned therein, however, it is mentioned in said roznamcha entry that the Applicant was a jeweller. A perusal of first FIR bearing No.204 at P.S. Gizri lodged by the present complainant for dishonour of two cheques issued by the present Applicant on dispute of Ten Tolas Gold, shows that the version of the complainant of dispute of gold is appealable to the mind of a prudent man. It is also surprising that the Applicant lodged a complainat/roznamcha entry at police station of stolen of cheques but he did not bother to write letter to the concerned Banks regarding stolen of cheques, which reflects that the Applicant just lodged complaint to design his ill gain by cheating people as the said complaint was lodged on 26.04.2013, he issued all the said cheques, which were dishonoured, after lodging complaint and all the FIRs were lodged beyond the said date in 2014 and present FIR was lodged in 2015.

 

So far as the medical ground of the accused is concerned, a perusal of Extract No.53 dated 21.08.2015 recorded in Register No.44 by Medical Officer, District Prison Malir, Karachi available as Annexure “E” at page-89 shows that no medical reports were available with the Applicant regarding his medical history therefore, he was sent for treatment to Civil Hospital, Karachi. The comments of Medical officer in such report is reproduced below for ready reference:-

“As accused has cerebral stroke history and uncontrolled blood pressure and persist numbness on LT side of body and has no medical reports with him so far his better treatment he may be sent to Civil Hospital Karachi. Where he gets Neurological and cardiac expert opinion and further treatment and lab investigation.

 

Learned Counsel for the Applicant has also failed to file any previous lab reports or medical history showing that the applicant is suffering from any chronic deceased, therefore, at this stage in my humble opinion the Applicant is not entitled for grant of bail on medical ground also.

 

No doubt the case of the applicant/accused not falls within prohibitory clause of Section 497(1), Cr.P.C. but grant of bail in each case, which does not falling in prohibitory clause, is not a rule of universal application. Each case has to be seen through its own facts and circumstances. The grant of bail , no doubt, is discretion granted to a Court, yet the exercise of it cannot be arbitrary, fanciful or perverse. If any authority is needed the reference may be made to the case of Shakeel Ahmed versus the State reported in 2009 SCMR 174.

Case law cited by the learned Counsel for the applicant in my humble opinion are distinguishable from the facts and circumstances of the present case therefore, the same are not applicable to this case.

 

For the reasons discussed above, the instant Bail Application was dismissed by my short order dated 27.10.2015 with direction to the learned Trial Court to frame the charge within a period of seven (07) days from the date of receipt of this order and conclude the trial within a period of one month after framing of charge. In case of failure to conclude the trial within the above period, the Applicant may file fresh application for bail before the trial Court.

 

Observations made hereinabove are of tentative nature and the trial Court shall not be influenced by any such observations.

      

                                                                                                            J U D G E