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High Court of Gujarat

VIPUL JAGDISH SHARMAversusSTATE OF GUJARAT

Disposal
38-RULE ABSOLUTE/ALLOWED @ FH

Holding

The Court allowed the anticipatory bail application, granting bail on a personal bond with conditions.

Summary

Vipul Jagdish Sharma applied for anticipatory bail under Section 482 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) in connection with FIR No. 11191023260205 alleging offences under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, arising from a suicide case where he was accused of threatening the deceased to grant a divorce. The Additional Public Prosecutor opposed bail, citing the gravity of the offence. The Court considered factors such as the nature of the accusation, the applicant’s clean antecedent record, and assurances of cooperation, referencing precedents like Siddharam Satlingappa Mhetre and Sibbia. Relying on these principles, the Court granted anticipatory bail, directing the applicant to furnish a personal bond of Rs.10,000 with a surety and comply with several conditions, including cooperation with investigation and restrictions on travel. The order also clarified that the bail does not impede police investigation.

Issues considered

  • Whether anticipatory bail should be granted under Section 482 BNSS for an offence punishable under Section 108 BN?
  • Whether the applicant’s antecedents, nature of the allegation, and risk of fleeing justify bail?

Legislation cited

Subjects

anticipatory bailSection 482 BNSSSection 108 BNcriminal procedurebail conditionssuicide caseno antecedents

Judgment

     R/CR.MA/10195/2026                                    ORDER DATED: 20/07/2026




             IN THE HIGH COURT OF GUJARAT AT AHMEDABAD

R/CRIMINAL MISC.APPLICATION (FOR ANTICIPATORY BAIL) NO. 10195
                           of 2026

==========================================================
                            VIPUL JAGDISH SHARMA
                                    Versus
                              STATE OF GUJARAT
==========================================================
Appearance:
MR ABHISHEK H AHUJA(12135) for the Applicant(s) No. 1
MR.NISARG P RAVAL(7262) for the Applicant(s) No. 1
MR. RAAJEN D JADHAV(10026) for the Respondent(s) No. 1
MS KRINA CALLA, APP for the Respondent(s) No. 1
==========================================================

 CORAM:HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE SANJEEV J.THAKER

                                Date : 20/07/2026

                                 ORAL ORDER

1.      By way of this application under Section 482 of the

Bharatiya         Nagarik    Suraksha        Sanhita,      2023       ( for   short,
“BNSS”), the applicant has prayed for anticipatory bail in the
event of arrest in connection with the FIR being C.R. No.

11191023260205 of 2026, registered with the Vadaj Police

Station, Ahmedabad City for the offences punishable under

Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita.


2.      Rule.         Learned   Additional        Public   Prosecutor         waives

service of notice of rule for respondent – State of Gujarat.


3.      Learned advocate for the applicant submits that the

nature of allegations are such that custodial interrogation at

this stage is not necessary. It is further submitted that the



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      R/CR.MA/10195/2026                                           ORDER DATED: 20/07/2026




applicant will keep himself available during the course of

investigation and trial also and will not flee from justice.



3.1      The learned advocate for the applicant further states

that the applicant shall abide by all the conditions that may

be imposed while granting anticipatory bail to the applicant.

Accordingly, it is urged that this application may be allowed

and to grant the anticipatory bail to the applicant.



4.       As against this, the learned Additional Public Prosecutor

appearing on behalf of the respondent – State has opposed

grant of anticipatory bail looking to the nature and gravity of

the offence and requested not to entertain this application.




5.       Having heard the learned advocates appearing for the
parties and perusing the papers available on record, it is

incumbent           upon         the   Court         to    exercise        its   discretion

judiciously, cautiously and strictly in compliance with the

basic principles laid down in plethora of decisions of the

Apex Court on the point. It is well settled that, among other

circumstances,             the    factors      to     be   borne      in     mind      while

considering an application for bail are (i) the nature and

gravity of the accusation; (ii) the antecedents of the applicant

including the fact as to whether he has previously undergone



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      R/CR.MA/10195/2026                                         ORDER DATED: 20/07/2026




imprisonment on conviction by a Court in respect of any

cognizable offence; (iii) the possibility of the applicant to flee

from justice; and (iv) where the accusation has been made

with the object of injuring or humiliating the applicant by

having him so arrested. Though at the stage of granting bail

an elaborate examination of evidence and detailed reasons

touching the merits of the case, which may prejudice the

case of accused, should be avoided.                           However, prima facie,

following aspects have been taken into consideration:


a)       considering the fact that the deceased had committed

suicide at her parental home and the applicant was not

residing with her at the time of offence;


b)       it has been alleged that the applicant was threatening

the deceased to give divorce;


c)       the applicant has no past antecedents;


d)       the learned advocate for the applicant has assured that

the     applicant          will   not    flee    from    justice      and     would        be

available during investigation as well as the trial.




6.       Considering the aforesaid aspects and the law laid down

by     the     Hon’ble        Apex      Court     in    the    case    of    Siddharam
Satlingappa Mhetre v. State of Maharashtra and Others,



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     R/CR.MA/10195/2026                                      ORDER DATED: 20/07/2026




reported in (2011) 1 SCC 6941, wherein the Hon’ble Apex
Court reiterated the law laid down by the Constitution Bench

in   the      case    of   Shri Gurubaksh Singh Sibbia & Others,
reported in (1980) 2 SCC 665 and also the decision in the
case of Sushila Aggarwal v. State (NCT of Delhi), reported in

(2020) 5 SCC 1, the Court is inclined to allow the present
application.




7.      In the result, this application is allowed by directing

that in the event of arrest/ appearance of the applicant in

connection with the above-referred FIR, the applicant shall be

released on bail on furnishing a personal bond of Rs.10,000/-

(Rupees Ten Thousand) with one surety of like amount on

the following conditions that applicant:


        (a)     shall cooperate with the investigation and make

        available for interrogation whenever required;


        (b)     shall      not   directly      or       indirectly     make        any

        inducement, threat or promise to any person acquainted

        with the fact of the case so as to dissuade him from

        disclosing such facts to the court or to any police

        officer;


        (c)     shall      not   obstruct          or    hamper        the      police




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      R/CR.MA/10195/2026                                         ORDER DATED: 20/07/2026




         investigation and not to play mischief with the evidence

         collected or yet to be collected by the police;


         (d)     shall      remain    present        at    the       concerned      Police

         Station on 28.07.2026 between 11.00 a.m. and 2.00 p.m.;



         (e)     shall at the time of execution of bond, furnish the

         address       to    the   investigating          officer     and    the     court

         concerned and shall not change residence till the final

         disposal of the case till further orders;



         (f)     shall not leave India without the permission of the

         Court and if having passport shall deposit the same

         before the trial Court within a week;



         (g)     It is open to the police or the investigating agency
         to move the learned trial Court for a direction under

         Section 483(2) of the BNSS to arrest the accused, in

         the event of violation of any term, such as absconding,

         non-cooperating             during           investigation,             evasion,

         intimidation or inducement to witnesses with a view to

         influence outcome of the investigation or trial, etc.



7.1      At the trial, the Trial Court shall not be influenced by

the     prima       facie    observations      made        by       this   Court     while



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     R/CR.MA/10195/2026                                                              ORDER DATED: 20/07/2026




considering the bail application.


8.        It is made clear that this order of anticipatory bail does

not in any manner limit or restrict the rights or duties of

the police or investigative agency to investigate into the

charges against the applicant who is granted pre-arrest bail.



9.        Rule is made absolute to the aforesaid extent.                                                       Direct

service is permitted.



                                                                                  (SANJEEV J.THAKER,J)
PD
Original copy of this order has been signed by the Hon'ble Judge.
Digitally signed by: PARUL DUTTA(HCD0073), ENGLISH STENOGRAPHER GRADE TWO CLASS TWO, at High Court of Gujarat on 20/07/2026 17:57:43




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