Supreme Court – Daily Orders
Imtiaz Ahmed vs The State Of West Bengal on 18 March, 2026
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION
CRIMINAL APPEAL NO. OF 2026
(arising out of SLP(Crl.) No. 7133/2025)
IMTIAZ AHMED & ANR. APPELLANT(S)
VERSUS
THE STATE OF WEST BENGAL RESPONDENT(S)
O R D E R
The appellants, namely, Imtiaz Ahmed
and Mustafa Khan, are aggrieved by the
denial of anticipatory bail by the High
Court at Calcutta, vide order dated
02.08.2023 passed in CRM(A) No. 2667/2023,
in relation to First Information
Report/Case No. 53 of 2023 dated
08.02.2023 registered with Police Station-
Serampore, District – Hooghly, Kolkata,
for the offences punishable under Sections
420, 467, 468, 409, 120B and 34 of the
Indian Penal Code, 1860.
Signature Not Verified
By order dated 16.05.2025, this Court
Digitally signed by
babita pandey
Date: 2026.03.19
1
14:24:43 IST
Reason: Crl.A. @ SLP(Crl.) No. 16778/2025
granted protection from arrest to the
appellants in relation to the aforestated
FIR, subject to the condition that they
join and cooperate with the investigation.
We are informed by the learned
counsel appearing for the State of West
Bengal that, pursuant to the aforestated
order, the appellants have joined and are
cooperating with the investigation.
Given the nature of the offence and
as the appellants have effectively joined
the investigation, we find no grounds for
custodial interrogation of the appellants
at this stage.
The appeal is, accordingly, allowed,
setting aside the impugned judgment/order.
It is directed that, in the event the
appellants, Imtiaz Ahmed and Mustafa Khan,
are arrested in connection with the FIR in
question, they shall be released on bail
forthwith on such terms and conditions as
may be fixed by the trial Court.
The appellants, Imtiaz Ahmed and
Mustafa Khan, shall abide by the
Crl.A. @ SLP(Crl.) No. 16778/2025 2
conditions stipulated in Section 482(2) of
the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita,
2023. They shall continue to cooperate
with the investigation and, thereafter,
during the course of the trial, if any.
We clarify that we have not made any
observations/comments on the merits of the
case and any observation made in this
order is meant only for the limited
purpose of grant of anticipatory bail.
Pending application(s), if any, shall
stand disposed of.
………………….J.
(SANJAY KUMAR)
………………….J.
(K. VINOD CHANDRAN)
NEW DELHI;
MARCH 18, 2026.
Crl.A. @ SLP(Crl.) No. 16778/2025 3
ITEM NO.31 COURT NO.12 SECTION II-B
S U P R E M E C O U R T O F I N D I A
RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
Petition for Special Leave to Appeal (Crl.) No.
7133/2025
[Arising out of impugned final judgment and order
dated 02-08-2023 in CRM(A) No. 2667/2023 passed
by the High Court at Calcutta]
IMTIAZ AHMED & ANR. Petitioner(s)
VERSUS
THE STATE OF WEST BENGAL Respondent(s)
Date : 18-03-2026 This petition was called on for
hearing today.
CORAM :
HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE SANJAY KUMAR
HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE K. VINOD CHANDRANFor Petitioner(s)
Mr. Veer Pratap Singh, Adv./AOR
Mr. Sagar Roy, Adv.
Mr. Sandeep Lamba, Adv.
Mr. Aniruddha Singha Roy, Adv.
Ms. Anki Kashyap, Adv.
Mr. Dhiraj K. Sammi, Adv.
Mr. Ganesh Chandra Patra, Adv.
Ms. Shreya Smriti, Adv.
Mr. Amitabh Pandey, Adv.
Mr. Surendra Gupta, Adv.
Mr. Rakesh Kumar, Adv.
Mr. Subhasish Bhowmick, AOR
Mr. Mohit Kumar Singh, ADv.
Mr. Rahul Kumar, ADv.
Mr. Jagbeer Yadav, Adv.
4
Ms. Suja Joshi, Adv.
For Respondent(s)
Mr. Prashant Alai, Adv.
Mr. Kunal Mimani, AORUPON hearing the counsel, the Court made the following
O R D E RLeave granted.
In terms of the signed order, it is directed
that, in the event the appellants, Imtiaz Ahmed
and Mustafa Khan, are arrested in connection with
the FIR in question, they shall be released on
bail forthwith on such terms and conditions as may
be fixed by the trial Court.
The appeal is allowed in terms of the signed
order.
Pending application(s), if any, shall stand
disposed of.
(BABITA PANDEY) (PREETI SAXENA)
AR-cum-PS COURT MASTER (NSH)
(Signed order is placed on the file)5