Vishal Singh vs State Of Himachal Pradesh on 19 May, 2025

Supreme Court – Daily Orders

Vishal Singh vs State Of Himachal Pradesh on 19 May, 2025

Author: Dipankar Datta

Bench: Dipankar Datta

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                                        IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
                                       CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION

                                  CRIMINAL APPEAL NO. ________ OF 2025
                           [@ SPECIAL LEAVE PETITION (CRL.) NO. 13933 OF 2024]

                         VISHAL SINGH                                                Appellant (s)

                                                         VERSUS

                         STATE OF HIMACHAL PRADESH
                         & ANR.                                                      Respondent(s)

                                                        ORDER

1. Leave granted.

2. The High Court of Himachal Pradesh at Shimla has

rejected the appellant’s prayer for bail vide order dated

18.06.2024. Such order has been subjected to challenge

in this appeal.

3. Appellant, figuring as an accused in FIR No. 5 of 2024

registered at Women Police Station, Kullu, was arrested on

08.03.2024. It is alleged in the FIR that the appellant has

committed offences, punishable under Sections 376, 312

and 323 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 1. Upon

investigation, police report (chargesheet) under Section

173 of the Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 has been filed

on 03.05.2024. Appellant has been accused of offences

under Sections 376 and 323 of the IPC and Section 3(2)V

Signature Not Verified
of The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes
Digitally signed by

(Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
Jayant Kumar Arora
Date: 2025.05.20
16:12:23 IST
Reason:

1 IPC
2

4. From the chargesheet, it appears that the prosecution

proposes to examine 17 witnesses to drive home the

charges against the appellant.

5. For the purpose of the disposal of this appeal, we need

not refer to the allegations levelled by the 2nd respondent

– complainant against the appellant in details. Suffice it to

note, the appellant has spent little less than one year in

custody and despite the chargesheet having been filed on

03.05.2024, the charges are yet to be framed. Trial, thus,

is likely to take some time to conclude.

6. In such view of the matter, we are inclined to accept the

present appeal and grant the appellant’s prayer for bail.

Accordingly, the judgment and order of the High Court is

set aside.

7. The appellant is on interim bail pursuant to our order

dated 17.01.2025. Such order is made absolute.

Consequently, the appellant shall be released on regular

bail, subject to such terms and conditions as may be

imposed by the trial court.

8. However, this order of grant of bail will not be treated as

findings on the merits of the case.

9. Appellant shall duly appear before the trial court on the

dates fixed, unless exempted; and should the appellant

fail to appear on any date without justifiable cause or

should he breach any of the terms and conditions for

grant of bail, the trial court shall be at liberty to cancel
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the bail.

10. We also make it clear that till such time the private

witnesses are examined at the trial, the appellant (who is

said to be a resident of Manali) shall not enter the

jurisdictional limits of Kullu district, unless he is required

to attend the proceedings before the trial court. However,

in the event, the appellant is required to travel to any

destination through Kullu district, he shall have to seek

prior permission from the trial court.

11. The appeal is, accordingly, allowed on the aforesaid

terms.

12. Pending interlocutory applications, if any, are disposed of.

………………………………J.
(DIPANKAR DATTA)

……….……………………..J.
(K. VINOD CHANDRAN)

NEW DELHI;

MAY 19, 2025.

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                                                                  URGENT

ITEM NO.4                COURT NO.12                  SECTION II-C

                S U P R E M E C O U R T O F     I N D I A
                        RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS

Petition(s) for Special Leave to Appeal (Crl.)      No(s).   13933/2024

[Arising out of impugned final judgment and order dated 18-06-2024
in CRMPM No. 602/2024 passed by the High Court of Himachal Pradesh
at Shimla]

VISHAL SINGH Petitioner(s)

VERSUS

STATE OF HIMACHAL PRADESH & ANR. Respondent(s)

IA No. 211057/2024 – EXEMPTION FROM FILING C/C OF THE IMPUGNED
JUDGMENT, IA No. 211054/2024 – EXEMPTION FROM FILING O.T.
IA No. 214990/2024 – PERMISSION TO FILE ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS/
FACTS/ANNEXURES

Date : 19-05-2025 This matter was called on for hearing today.

CORAM : HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE DIPANKAR DATTA
HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE K. VINOD CHANDRAN

For Petitioner(s) : Mr. Manan Kumar Mishra, Sr. Adv.

Ms. Anjul Dwivedi, Adv.

Dr. Ram Sankar, Adv.

Mrs. Harini Ramsankar, Adv.

M/S. Ram Sankar & Co, AOR

For Respondent(s) : Mr. D. N. Goverdhan, Sr. Adv.

Mr. Surya Kamal Mishra, Adv.

Mr. T. Mahipal, AOR

Mr. Varinder Kumar Sharma, AOR

UPON hearing the counsel the Court made the following
O R D E R

Leave granted.

The appeal is allowed and the appellant is released on regular

bail in terms of Para 7 of this order. Para 7 is extracted

below :-

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“The appellant is on interim bail pursuant to our

order dated 17.01.2025. Such order is made

absolute. Consequently, the appellant shall be

released on regular bail, subject to such terms

and conditions as may be imposed by the trial

court.”

Pending interlocutory application(s), if any, is/are disposed

of.

(JAYANT KUMAR ARORA) (SUDHIR KUMAR SHARMA)
ASTT. REGISTRAR-cum-PS COURT MASTER

(Signed order is placed on the file)