Uttarakhand High Court
Unknown vs State Of Uttarakhand on 20 March, 2026
Author: Pankaj Purohit
Bench: Manoj Kumar Tiwari, Pankaj Purohit
Judgment reserved on:-18.03.2026
Judgment delivered on:-20.03.2026
HIGH COURT OF UTTARAKHAND AT NAINITAL
Criminal Appeal No.613 of 2024
Shakeel Ahmad Ansari
--Appellant
Versus
State Of Uttarakhand
--Respondent
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Presence:-
Mr. Vikas Kumar Guglani, Mr. Deep Chandra Joshi & Mr. B.S.
Koranga, learned counsel for the appellant.
Mr. J.S. Virk, learned Deputy Advocate General along with Mr.
Rakesh Kumar Joshi, learned Brief Holder for the State.
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Coram :Hon'ble Manoj Kumar Tiwari, J.
Hon’ble Pankaj Purohit, J.
Hon’ble Pankaj Purohit, J. (Oral)
This criminal appeal is directed against the
judgment and order dated 20.09.2024, passed by learned
1st Additional Sessions Judge, Haldwani, District Nainital
in FIR No.22 of 2024, under Sections 147, 148, 149, 307,
332, 353, 395, 427, 435, 120B IPC and Section 3/4 of
the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984,
under Section 7 Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1932, &
Section 15/16 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act,
1967. The court below has rejected the bail application of
the accused.
2. The brief facts of the case involved in the
present criminal appeal are that FIR No.22 of 2024,
under Sections 147, 148, 149, 307, 332, 353, 395, 427,
435, 120B IPC and Section 3/4 of the Prevention of
Damage to Public Property Act, 1984, under Section 7 of
Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1932, & Section 15/16 of
the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 was
registered against unknown persons in Police Station
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Banbhoolpura, District Nainital. In the FIR, it has been
alleged by the informant that while the team of
administration and police went to demolish and remove
the illegal construction at Malik-ka-Bagicha in Haldwani
on 08.02.2024, several persons assembled there and
committed violence, arsoning and rioting with the team of
administration and police; hurled petrol bombs, fired
from illegal weapons and snatched the weapons of the
police. The appellant/applicant has been arrested on
17.02.2024 on the charge of the aforesaid offences.
3. It is admitted that the provisions of Section
15/16 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967
were invoked subsequently during investigation against
the appellant/applicant and other persons who have
been arrested during investigation. The name of the
appellant/applicant came into light during investigation.
4. The bail application of the appellant/ applicant
has been rejected by the learned 1st Additional Sessions
Judge, Haldwani, District Nainital as stated above by the
impugned judgment and order. It is feeling aggrieved by
the aforesaid judgment and order, the
appellant/applicant is before this Court.
5. The objections were called from the State.
Objections have been filed on behalf of the State along with
delay condonation application (IA No.2/2024). For the
reasons stated in the affidavit, the delay condonation
application is allowed. Delay in filing the objections is
condoned. Objections are taken on record.
6. The State in its objections opposed the bail
application by stating that the appellant/applicant was
involved in the serious offence of rioting, arsoning and
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violence that too with the officers of the administration
and police. It has also been stated that in the statement
of witnesses recorded under Section 161 Cr.P.C., the
involvement of appellant/applicant is proved; the illegal
arms and petrol bombs were stored under a well planned
conspiracy and public officers were attacked with the
intention of killing them by using petrol bombs etc. by
demonstrating criminal force. The State further stated
that the criminal activities done by the
appellant/applicant falls within the definition of
“terroristic attack” with the purpose of creating terror
among the people and the attack caused by the crowd of
which the appellant/applicant was part of, as
conspirator, caused irreparable damaged to the property
of nation and it created fear in the mind of general
public. Therefore, offence is made out against the
appellant/applicant.
7. It is further submitted by the State that after
completion of the investigation, the investigating officer
has filed charge-sheet against the appellant/applicant
before the court concerned.
8. Heard learned counsel for the parties and
perused the record.
9. Learned counsel for the appellant/applicant
submitted that appellant/applicant was not named in the
FIR; he has falsely been implicated with the incident; he
has no concern with the alleged violence rioting and
arsoning. He further submitted that there is no concrete
evidence with the prosecution to connect the
appellant/applicant with the incident happened on
08.02.2024 at Malik-Ka- Bagicha in Halwani. He has no
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concern with the crime. Since no specific role has been
assigned to appellant/applicant in commission of crime,
therefore, he is entitled to be released on bail by this
Court after setting aside the judgment and order
impugned. He is in jail since 23.02.2024 in the present
FIR.
10. Per contra, learned Deputy Advocate General
strongly opposed the appeal and grant of bail to the
appellant/applicant. He submits that the statements
under Section 161 Cr.P.C. of complainant, police persons
and one Pankaj Saxena (independent witness/reporter)
have been recorded who unequivocally stated about the
involvement of appellant/accused in the crime. He
further submitted that though he has not been named in
the FIR because the FIR was against unknown persons,
but his name was figured during investigation. It was
further stated that he is one of the conspirators of the
incident; he was present in the house of Abdul Malik on
30.01.2024 in a late night meeting. A CCTV clipping is
relied upon to substantiate his contentions.
11. We have perused the record of the case and the
statements recorded under Section 161 Cr.P.C. He has
been booked only on the basis of CCTV footage. Further,
he has no criminal history, there is no concrete prove of
the alleged conspiracy.
12. Having considered the submissions of both the
learned counsel for the parties and having gone through
the record of the case, this Court is of the view that there
is no direct evidence even of conspiracy against the
appellant/applicant. The prosecution could not tell us as
to who has named or identified the appellant/applicant.
It is also in the mind of this Court since the
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appellant/applicant has already more than two years in
custody in connection with the aforesaid alleged FIR, he
is entitled to be released on bail.
13. The net result of the aforesaid discussion is
that appellant is entitled to be released on bail in the
present matter. Accordingly, the criminal appeal is
allowed. The judgment and order, passed by learned 1st
Additional Sessions Judge, Haldwani, District Nainital
impugned in the instant appeal are hereby set-aside. The
appellant/ applicant-Shakeel Ahmad Ansari is directed to
be released immediately, if he is not wanted in any other
criminal case, on bail on his executing personal bond in
each case and furnishing two reliable sureties, each of
the like amount to the satisfaction of the Court
concerned.
14. Pending application, if any, stands disposed of
accordingly.
(Pankaj Purohit, J.) (Manoj Kumar Tiwari, J.)
20.03.2026
AK
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