Bail – Modification of Conditions – Maintainability – Section 528 BNSS – Petition challenging onerous bail conditions restricting foreign travel and requiring deposit of passport – Respondents argued modification impermissible once bail granted – Held: Bail order interlocutory; conditions not final judgment; Court retains inherent jurisdiction under Section 528 BNSS to alter conditions to secure ends of justice [Paras 12-16].

Right to Travel Abroad – Article 21 – Petitioner, business head engaged in international tyre trade, required frequent travel – Family and residence in India, no flight risk – Held: Right to travel abroad part of personal liberty; restrictions must be reasonable; conditions modified to balance liberty with fair trial [Paras 18-20, 23].

GST Offence – Bail Conditions – Regulation not Deletion – Court distinguished Barun Chandra Thakur and Aparna Purohit cases – Noted petitioner’s case involved GST evasion triable by Magistrate; not grave crimes like POCSO or conspiracy – Conditions for foreign travel regulated with affidavits, disclosures and additional security; not deleted [Paras 21-22, 24].

Modified Conditions – Passport & Travel – Condition requiring prior permission for each trip substituted with requirement to file affidavit before Trial Court disclosing travel details; prohibition on foreign travel after case fixed for final arguments – Passport deposit condition relaxed; passport to be returned – Additional security of Rs.5 lakhs directed [Para 24].

Decision – Application Allowed in Part – Bail conditions modified to regulate international travel and relax passport deposit requirement – Additional security imposed – Application disposed of [Paras 24-25].

Transfer of Civil Suit – Apprehension of Influence – Fair Trial Principle – Transfer Allowed – Applicants sought transfer of civil suits from Garhshankar to another jurisdiction citing apprehension of bias due to involvement of a local advocate, Madhu Bala, who earlier filed suit on behalf of the respondent and had influence over the local Bar – Entire Garhshankar Bar had gone on strike to support her during SDM proceedings, raising a legitimate apprehension of prejudice in the minds of applicants – Court held that even if influence is not actually exercised, the appearance of justice being done is essential – Suit transferred to Hoshiarpur in view of balancing convenience of both parties.

Criminal Writ - Police Surveillance – History-Sheet – Single Case Registered in 2016 – History-Sheet Quashed – Petitioner had only one criminal case registered in 2016 under the Cow Slaughter Act – No further offence, complaint, or FIR registered – Despite this, history-sheet under Category 18-A was opened and representation for closure rejected – Held: No reasonable basis or suspicion to justify opening of history-sheet under Paragraphs 228 & 240 – Surveillance not warranted – Police acted without sufficient material [Paras 2-4, 6-14].

Constitutional Rights – Article 21 – Illegal Surveillance Violates Personal Liberty – Unwarranted use of history-sheet powers violates the citizen’s right to dignity and liberty – Supreme Court cautions against arbitrary surveillance in Govind v. State of M.P. and Malak Singh v. State of Punjab – Held: Power under Police Regulations is not unbridled – Must be backed by cogent reasons and prior criminal conduct – Absent in this case [Paras 9-11, 13-14].

Administrative Law – Judicial Review of Police Action – Non-Speaking and Mechanical Order – Representation for closure of history-sheet was rejected in a casual and mechanical manner without consideration of facts – Held: Order dated 23.06.2025 is arbitrary and unsustainable – Directions issued to close the history-sheet and refrain from further surveillance [Paras 11-15].

Decision – Writ Petition Allowed – Order dated 23.06.2025 passed by Superintendent of Police, Siddharthnagar quashed – Respondents directed to close History-Sheet No. 18-A and not to keep the petitioner under surveillance [Para 15].

Service Law – Seniority Dispute – Bona Fide Correction Permissible – Appeal Dismissed – Appellant's seniority was initially fixed on the basis of incorrect date of appointment (01.01.1978 instead of 17.01.1978) – Upon correction, his position was changed from Serial No.23 to 47-A – Held: Authorities have the right to rectify bona fide mistakes in seniority lists – Employee has no vested right to seniority acquired due to administrative error – No junior was shown senior post-correction – Re-fixation justified [Paras 12–14].

Civil Suit – Seniority Challenge – Concurrent Findings – No Interference – Trial Court decreed suit directing re-fixation based on length of service – Lower Appellate Court reversed decree, upholding correction of appointment date and subsequent seniority – High Court upheld appellate findings – Held: No perversity or illegality in re-fixation of seniority; no interference warranted in second appeal [Paras 6–13].

Judgment – Second Appeal Dismissed – No substantial question of law involved – Lower Appellate Court’s reasoning based on undisputed facts and correct legal position – Appeal found meritless and dismissed [Paras 13–14].

Civil Law – Return of Plaint – Order 7 Rule 10 CPC – Dismissal Set Aside – Trial Court dismissed suit despite holding it lacked jurisdiction, which was upheld in first appeal – Held: When a court concludes it lacks jurisdiction over the subject matter, it must return the plaint without deciding other issues – Dismissal was erroneous and legally impermissible – Suit to be tried de novo by competent court if re-presented [Paras 6–9].

Jurisdiction – Distinction between Trial and Appellate Stage – Uniform Rule Applies – The Court held that whether the issue of jurisdiction is raised at trial or appeal, the correct course upon finding lack of jurisdiction is return of plaint, not dismissal – Held: Court must not enter into merits once jurisdiction is declined [Para 6].

Interpretation of Precedent – Mst. Ananti v. Channu No Longer Good Law – Full Bench decision in Mst. Ananti (AIR 1930 All 193) overruled in light of Supreme Court judgments in Athmanathaswami (AIR 1965 SC 338) and EXL Careers (2020) 12 SCC 667 – Held: Return of plaint is mandatory where jurisdiction is lacking, irrespective of trial stage reached [Paras 4–6].

Procedure – Fresh Suit in Competent Court – De Novo Trial Permitted – Where plaint is returned due to lack of jurisdiction, it can be presented to the appropriate forum – Plaintiff entitled to benefit of Section 14 of the Limitation Act – Trial to proceed afresh [Para 6].

Decision – Second Appeal Allowed – Trial Court and Appellate Court judgments set aside – Direction issued to return the plaint – Liberty granted to appellants to present plaint before competent forum [Paras 6–9].

Criminal Law - Section 138 NI Act - Dishonour of Cheque – Presumption under Section 139 NI Act – Conviction Upheld – Accused admitted issuance and signature on the cheque – Presumption of legal liability under Sections 118 and 139 arose – Accused failed to rebut the presumption by credible defence – Held: Courts below rightly convicted the accused under Section 138 of the NI Act [Paras 6, 7, 18, 23, 25, 30].

Security Cheque Defence – Inconsistent Defence – Not Substantiated – Accused claimed cheque was taken by complainant as security – Defence found contradictory and unsupported by evidence – No account statement or documentation produced – Held: No plausible explanation given for holding blank cheques – Defence rightly rejected by courts below [Paras 5, 24-25].

Service of Notice – Presumption under General Clauses Act – Valid Service Established – Legal notice was sent to correct address – Accused failed to rebut statutory presumption of service – No payment made after receipt of court summons – Held: Notice deemed served under Section 27 of General Clauses Act – C.C. Alavi Haji principle applied [Paras 33-35].

Scope of Revisional Jurisdiction – Limited Interference Permissible – No Perversity Shown – Held: Revisional court not to reappreciate evidence unless findings are perverse or result in miscarriage of justice – Findings of conviction supported by evidence – No error of law or jurisdiction found – Revision dismissed [Paras 13-17].

Sentence and Compensation – Not Excessive – Compensation Justified – Accused sentenced to 2 months’ simple imprisonment and ₹1,60,000 as compensation for dishonoured cheque of ₹90,000 – Held: Sentence not excessive given the deterrent object of the NI Act and 10-year delay in realisation – Compensation rightly awarded [Paras 37-40].

Final Decision – Revision Petition Dismissed – No merit in contention regarding limitation, lack of notice or absence of liability – Trial and appellate courts rightly convicted and sentenced the accused – No interference warranted [Paras 36, 42].

Quashing - Criminal Complaint – Section 18(a)(i), 17B, and 27(d) of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act  - Conflicting Drug Test Reports – Section 482 Cr.P.C. – Complaint Quashed – The Petitioners, including a pharmaceutical company and its directors, challenged the continuation of prosecution on the basis of a Government Analyst's report (CIPL, Ghaziabad) declaring their drug substandard – They relied upon a second test report by the Government Analyst, Vadodara certifying the same drug as of standard quality – Held: Where two official test reports conflict, and the latter exonerates the accused, the court must consider the version favorable to the accused – The Vadodara report was found to be an official document of impeccable quality and formed part of the investigation record – Petitioners were entitled to discharge and quashing of proceedings [Paras 86-100].

Consideration of Defence Documents – Sterling Quality Test – Exception to Debendra Nath Padhi – The court reiterated that ordinarily, defence documents cannot be considered at the stage of framing charge – However, if the documents are unimpeachable, official, and part of investigation, they may be considered – The Gujarat Government Analyst’s report met these criteria and cast serious doubt on the prosecution case [Paras 52-69].

Right to Challenge Analyst’s Report – Section 25 D&C Act – Violation of Procedure – The Drug Inspector failed to send the sample and report to the manufacturer (Petitioner), thereby depriving them of their right to challenge the analyst’s report under Section 25(3) – Even though the Petitioners attempted to challenge the report within 28 days of knowledge, they were denied this statutory safeguard [Paras 79-85].

Test Methodology – Discrepancy in Testing Standards – TLC vs HPLC – The impugned Ghaziabad laboratory report used the TLC method, but failed to perform a full assay due to lack of equipment – The Gujarat laboratory, using the same method, found the drug compliant – This disparity weakened the reliability of the prosecution’s evidence [Paras 94-96].

Prima Facie Case – Abuse of Process – Petition Allowed – The Court held that no prima facie case was made out and continuing the prosecution would be an abuse of process – The petition was allowed, complaint quashed, and Petitioners discharged [Paras 103-104].

SARFAESI Act – Delay in Execution of Section 14 Order – Writ of Mandamus Issued – Bank sought implementation of order passed under Section 14 by CJM, Ludhiana – Tehsildar failed to take possession of secured assets – Held: Delay defeats purpose of SARFAESI Act which aims for expeditious recovery of NPAs – Writ allowed directing execution of order within 30 days [Paras 1-4].

Public Functionaries – Failure to Act on Statutory Duty – Condemned – Court found repeated cases of non-compliance by District and Revenue Authorities in executing orders under SARFAESI Act – Directed that such delays frustrate legislative intent and impose unnecessary financial burden on banking system – Warning issued against systemic neglect [Paras 5-7].

Judicial Training – Orientation Course Ordered – Compliance Failure – Citing continuous lapses, Court directed Chandigarh Judicial Academy to conduct orientation for all District Magistrates and Tehsildars in Punjab, Haryana and UT Chandigarh on procedures and timelines under Section 14 – Emphasis on ensuring statutory compliance within prescribed deadlines [Paras 10-14].

SARFAESI Scheme – Role of District Magistrate – Ministerial Nature of Function – Relying on SC judgment in R.D. Jain & Co. v. Capital First Ltd., Court reiterated that powers under Section 14 are ministerial, not quasi-judicial – DM must act within 30 days, extendable to 60 days, and ensure execution within further 30 days – Delay in compliance to be treated as contempt [Paras 9, 14-15].

Final Directions – Writ Allowed – Time-bound Compliance Mandated – Direction to execute CJM order within 30 days – Ordered submission of compliance report by 07.11.2025 – Warning of contempt in case of further dereliction – Petition disposed accordingly [Paras 15-17].

NDPS Act – Confiscation of Vehicle – Death of Accused – Trial Abated – Confiscation Not Sustainable – Vehicle seized in connection with possession of opium – Accused died during trial and proceedings abated – Held: Since trial never took place and there was no conviction, acquittal, or discharge, confiscation under Section 60(3) read with Section 63 NDPS Act not applicable – Confiscation order quashed – Vehicle directed to be released on superdari to legal heirs [Paras 2, 6, 11-13].

Interpretation of Statutes – Scope of Section 60(3) and Section 63 NDPS Act – Applicability only where adjudication (conviction, acquittal, or discharge) occurs – Confiscation in absence of trial not contemplated by statute – Petitioners heard as required under proviso to Section 63 – Confiscation still held unlawful [Paras 10-12].

Decision – Order dated 20.02.2019 by Special Judge (NDPS), Fatehgarh Sahib set aside – Confiscated vehicle (Volkswagen Vento PB-11AT-0026) directed to be released on superdari to petitioners on appropriate bonds – Petition allowed [Para 13-14].