The Supreme Court observed that, while dealing with anticipatory bail applications, courts must also consider the gravity of the offence, the impact on society, and the need for a fair and free investigation.
While it is extremely important to protect the personal liberty of a person, it is equally incumbent to analyze the seriousness of the offence and determine if there is a need for custodial interrogation, the bench of Justices Surya Kant and C T Ravikumar said.
In this case, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had granted bail to some accused against whom an FIR was lodged under Sections 406, 420, 467, 468, 471 and 120B of the Indian Penal Code. They were accused of forging documents for transferring ownership of land worth crores of rupees.