Grant of bail for robbery and assault where accused has no antecedents and charge-sheet is filed.

The applicant filed a first bail application seeking regular bail following his arrest in connection with Crime No. 710/2025.

The prosecution alleged that on November 10, 2025, the complainant was intercepted by 4-5 intoxicated individuals who dragged him to a railway line, assaulted him with fists and a bucket, and robbed him of his mobile phone and cash.

The applicant was subsequently arrested on December 6, 2025, and a sum of ₹10,000/- was recovered from his possession.

The investigation is complete, and the charge-sheet has been filed.

Whether the applicant is entitled to regular bail under Section 483 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, considering the nature of the allegations and the period of detention.

The court applied Section 483 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, regarding the High Court’s power to grant bail.

It also considered the penal provisions under Sections 126(2) (wrongful restraint), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 351(3) (criminal intimidation), 296 (obscene acts), 304(2) (snatching), and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.

The court balanced the gravity of the offence against the lack of criminal antecedents and the completion of the investigation.

The court evaluated the facts and circumstances, noting the gravity of the allegations involving robbery and assault.

The court weighed this against the fact that the applicant, aged 19, has no prior criminal record.

It further observed that the charge-sheet has already been filed, and the applicant has been in custody since December 6, 2025.

Given that the trial is expected to take significant time to conclude, the court reasoned that continued pre-trial detention was not warranted provided stringent conditions were imposed to ensure the applicant's presence during proceedings.

The holding is contingent upon several conditions: the applicant must not seek unnecessary adjournments, must appear personally at all critical stages of the trial (framing of charges and recording of statements under Section 351 of BNSS), and must comply with proceedings under Sections 209 and 269 of the BNS in case of default.

The trial court was directed to treat any breach of these conditions as an abuse of the liberty of bail.