2023 INSC 612 REPORTABLE

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA

CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION

CRIMINAL APPEAL NO 1793 OF 2023

[Arising out of Special Leave Petition (Crl.) No.8146 2023]

[Arising out of Special Leave Petition (Crl.) D.No.20936 of 2022]

Pratibha Manchanda & Anr.  … Appellant(s)

VERSUS

State of Haryana & Anr.   … Respondent(s)

JUDGMENT

Surya Kant, J.

1. Application seeking permission to file the SLP is

allowed. Leave Granted.

2.The instant appeal arises from a judgment of

the   High   Court   of   Punjab   and   Haryana   at

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Chandigarh   (hereinafter,   ‘High   Court’)   dated

31.05.2022, whereby the High Court allowed the

petition   filed   under   Section   438   of   the   Code   of

Criminal Procedure, 1973 (hereinafter, ‘Cr.P.C’) and

granted anticipatory bail to Respondent No. 2 in FIR

No. 113 of 2022, dated 16.03.2022, registered at PS

Badshahpur,   district   Gurugram,   under   Sections

406, 420, 467, 468, 471 and 120­B of the Indian

Penal Code, 1860 (hereinafter, ‘IPC’). 

A.FACTS

3.The  abovementioned  FIR was lodged by the

Appellants   against   Respondent   No.   2   and   other

co­accused individuals, namely, Shel Narang,  Bhim

Singh and Vinod. According to the contents of the

FIR, the Appellants are senior citizens who were

owners  and had possession over the land bearing

rect.   No.   55,   Killa   No.   3/1   (7­9),   4/1   (7­13),

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measuring 15 Kanal 2 Marla, situated within the

revenue estate of Village Begampur Khatola, Tehsil

Kadipur,   District   Gurugram   (hereinafter,   ‘Subject

Land’) for over a period of 30 years. The Appellants

claim   that   they   never   sold   the   Subject   Land   to

anyone nor have they ever executed any power of

attorney (hereinafter, ‘GPA’) in favor of any third

party.   The   area   has,   in   their   version   of   events,

always been unequivocally under their possession

and has never been ceded in any form or fashion to

people outside the family.

4.On 28.02.2022, Appellant No. 2 went to Patwar

Bhawan, Gurugram to obtain revenue papers for the

Subject   Land.   He   discovered   there   only   that   a

person named Bhim Singh Rathi had approached

the   halqa   patwari   to   sanction   mutation   of   the

aforementioned land. The application for mutation

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was, as per the Appellants, based on a forged and

fabricated sale deed bearing vasika No. 11493 dated

24.02.2022   (hereinafter,   ‘2022   Sale   Deed’).   After

looking   into   the   matter   further,   Appellant   No.   2

learned that the said sale deed was registered in the

office of Sub­Registrar Kadipur, District Gurugram

and   was   executed   by   Respondent   No.   2.   The

execution in question was based on yet another,

purportedly,     forged   and   fabricated   GPA   bearing

Vasika   No.   13907   dated   18.09.1996   (hereinafter,

‘1996   GPA’),     registered   in   the   office   of

Sub­Registrar­V, South East Delhi. 

5.The   Appellants,   as   alluded   to   earlier,   have

adopted   the   stance   that   they   never   executed   or

registered any GPA in favor of Respondent No. 2,

nor are they even acquainted with him in any form

or fashion. Instead, both the 1996 GPA and the

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2022   Sale   Deed   were   completely   fraudulent

documents created by Respondent No. 2 and the

remaining   co­accused   named   in   the   FIR,   in

collusion with other officials at the  Sub­Registrar's

office. These actions were carried out in complete

subterfuge   and   without   any   involvement   of   the

Appellants.

6.The   Appellants   claim   that   they   are   in

possession of the original sale deed for the Subject

Land, and a true copy of it was attached to the

complaint.  Upon examining the 2022 Sale Deed, it

was apparent to them that the accused had failed to

provide   a   PAN   Number,   which   is   mandatorily

required for a valid sale deed. Furthermore, there

was no mention of  the 1% amount of Tax Deducted

at Source (hereinafter, ‘TDS’) being deposited, which

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also forms part of the requirements for execution

and registration of a sale deed.

7.The   complaint   also   mentioned   the   current

market value of the Appellants' land, measuring 15

Kanal 2 Marla, as being approximately   not less

than Rs. 50 crores. However, in the 2022 Sale Deed,

the sale consideration was  shown as an abjectly low

and  meager amount  of  Rs.  6,60,62,500/­, which

was   significantly   below   its   actual   asking   price.

Moreover, the Appellants had not received even this

miniscule amount even if the 2022 Sale Deed was

hypothetically   considered   to   be   valid.   Thus,   this

document was clearly created by Respondent No. 2

and the co­accused in collusion with the witnesses,

the scribe, and officials of the Sub­Registrar Tehsil

Kadipur,   District   Gurugram,   with   the   unholy

intention to wisk the property away from the   the

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complainants and place it under the possession of

the accused.  

8.Accordingly, the  First Information Report was

registered   at   Police   Station,   Badshahpur,

Gurugram,   and   an   investigation   was   initiated.

Respondent No. 2, fearing arrest if he were asked to

appear   before   the     Investigating   Officer,   filed   an

application   for   Anticipatory   Bail   before   the

Additional Sessions Judge, Gurugram.

9.The   Additional   Sessions   Judge,   Gurugram,

dismissed   Respondent   No.   2's   application   for

anticipatory   bail   in   an   order   dated   23.05.2022,

while observing that:

i.Respondent   No.   2   was   accused   of   allegedly

forging   a   GPA  and   executing   the   2022   Sale

Deed. The original 1996 GPA was still to   be

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recovered   by   the   police.   Several   questions

pertaining to the whereabouts of the 1996 GPA,

the execution of the sale deed, the payment of

sale consideration, sanctioning of the mutation,

and the relationship between Respondent No. 2

and the Appellants,  were all to be ascertained; 

ii. The allegations against Respondent No. 2 were

serious, and filing a civil suit did not absolve

them of criminal liability. Anticipatory bail was

to   be   granted   only   in   exceptional

circumstances, as a person under pre­arrest

bail   may   not   disclose   all   the   relevant   facts

under   questioning,   due   to   the   safeguard

provided   under   Section   438   of   the   Cr.P.C.

Custodial   interrogation   of   Respondent   No.   2

was   necessary for a thorough investigation,

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given all the outstanding points of inquiry that

remained pending.

10.Aggrieved,   Respondent   No.   2   filed   an

application   for   Anticipatory   Bail   before   the   High

Court. The High Court, vide impugned order dated

31.05.2022, allowed the application   and granted

him Anticipatory Bail. The High Court,  inter alia,

observed that:

i.The dispute involves the validity of the 1996

GPA and the misappropriation of the purported

sale consideration. Civil suits have been filed

regarding the ownership and possession of the

property already and  a handwriting expert's

report   was   crucial   in   determining   the

authenticity of the signatures; 

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ii. The High Court acknowledged the pendency of

ongoing   civil   suits   and   suggested   that   the

validity of the 1996 GPA's execution could be

determined by the civil court, and did not need

to be a determinative factor in the proceedings

for anticpatory bail; 

iii.Prima facie, it seemed that the involvement of

the criminal justice system, initiated by the

Appellants,   might   be   an   attempt   to   settle

certain   transactions   and   resolve   ongoing

disputes between them. In this background, to

ensure   that   justice   was   done   for   both   the

Appellants and Respondent No. 2, directions

were issued for them to provide their specimen

signatures. The handwriting expert was tasked

with comparing the writings and signatures to

assess their similarity.”

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11.  The   High   Court   ordered   that   no   arrest   of

Respondent No. 2 would be carried out as long as he

provided personal and surety bonds of Rs. 2 lakhs

each to the satisfaction of the investigating officer.

While   extending   these   protections,   Respondent

No.  2   was  also  instructed  to  cooperate  with the

investigation   whenever   required   and   to   give   an

undertaking   to avoid tampering with prosecution

evidence,   or   influence   any   of   the   witnesses.

Furthermore, a deposit of of Rs. 1.50 Crores was to

be subimtted before the concerned Magistrate which

would   serve   as   victim   compensation   and   be

disbursed based on the outcome of the trial.

12.The Appellants being aggrieved at the grant of

anticipatory bail, are before us.

B.CONTENTIONS

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13.Shri   Saket   Sikri,   learned   counsel   for   the

Appellants,   vehemently   contended   that   the   High

Court acted on the erroneous assumption that the

alleged 1996 GPA in favor of Respondent No. 2 is

genuine. The original copy of 1996 GPA has not

been recovered by the police till date, and hence,

custodial interrogation is required. Furthermore, the

High Court failed to consider that despite the 1996

GPA being executed in favour of Respondent No. 2,

he applied for its certified copy only in February

2022, i.e., 26 years later, whereas he should have

possessed the original already if his claim is to be

bona   fide.   The   present   case   is   one   where

Respondent No. 2, in collusion with other accused

persons, has carried out an elaborate fraud against

the Appellants, who are vulnerable owing to their

age and the NRI status. Additionally, the signatures

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used by Appellant No. 2 during the period between

1990­2000 are dissimilar, unalike and non­identical

from   those   inscribed   on   the   alleged   GPA   dated

18.09.1996. In addition, the consideration of the

alleged sale deed ­ Rs. 6.60 crores ­ is far less than

the   market   value   of   the   Subject   Land,   which   is

stated to be Rs. 50 crores.

14.Ms.   Bansuri   Swaraj,   learned   Additional

Advocate   General   appearing   on   behalf   of

Respondent   No.   1   –   State   of   Haryana,   strongly

contested   the   grant   of   anticipatory   bail   to

Respondent No. 2 and supported the stand taken by

the Appellants. It was argued that a strong prima

facie case has been made out against Respondent

No. 2, and that his custodial interrogation is vital to

the objective of unearthing the larger conspiracy.

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15.Shri Maninder Singh, learned Senior Counsel

representing Respondent No. 2, vigorously defended

High Court’s view and asserted that each and every

allegation, contention, and submission made by the

Appellants   was   factually   and   legally   incorrect.

Learned   Senior   Counsel   argued   that   Respondent

No.2 had originally purchased the land in question

from the Appellants in the year 1996. However, at

that time, there was a third­party lease existing on

the land. In order to address this, the Appellants

executed 1996 GPA, which was duly registered at

the office of the Sub­Registrar, Kalkaji, Delhi. This

GPA has not been disputed in any court of law and

has not been challenged by the Appellants up to the

time the civil suits were filed, clearly showing that

the   contestation   of   its   validity   was   merely   an

afterthought.   Respondent   No.   2   had   full

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authorization through the 1996 GPA to execute a

registered deed of conveyance for the property in

question   and   receive   consideration   for   it.   On

24.02.2022,   Respondent   No.   2   sold   the   land

through   the   exercise   of   power   vested   in   him   by

virtue of the 1996 GPA. However, the purchasers

have not been included as parties before this Court.

The   authenticity   of   the   GPA   had   been   verified

according to the report of the Sub Registrar, Kalkaji,

dated 13.02.2022 and the sale of the land only took

place after the receipt of the verification report. It

was   only   after   this   that   the   Appellants   began

threatening Respondent No. 2 and the purchasers,

and subsequently filed the civil suits contesting the

validity of the GPA. Furthermore, the High Court

has granted anticipatory bail to Respondent No. 2

subject   to   strict   conditions   such   as   providing

specimen signatures to the Investigating Officer and

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depositing   Rs.   1.50   crores.   The   police   have   also

obtained records from the Sub Registrar's office and

Respondent   No.   2   has   complied   with   all   the

conditions imposed on him by the High Court.

C.ANALYSIS

16.It goes without saying that the alleged offences

of forging documents for transferring ownership of

land worth crores of rupees are grave in nature.

Hence, while it is extremely important to protect the

personal liberty of a person, it is equally incumbent

upon us to analyze the seriousness of the offence

and   determine   if   there   is   a   need   for   custodial

interrogation.

17.In Siddharam Satlingappa Mhetre v. State

of Maharashtra

1

,  this Court carefully considered

the principles established by the Constitution Bench

1 (2011) 1 SCC 694.

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in  Gurbaksh Singh Sibbia v. State of Punjab

2

case.   After   a   thorough   deliberation,   this   court

arrived at the following conclusion:

"112.   The   following   factors   and

parameters   can   be   taken   into

consideration   while   dealing   with

anticipatory bail:

(i)The   nature   and   gravity   of   the

accusation   and   the   exact   role   of   the

accused must be properly comprehended

before arrest is made;

(ii)The   antecedents   of   the   applicant

including   the   fact   as   to   whether   the

accused   has   previously   undergone

imprisonment on conviction by a court in

respect of any cognizable offence;

(iii)The possibility of the applicant to

flee from justice;

(iv)The   possibility   of   the   accused's

likelihood   to   repeat   similar   or   other

offences;

(v)Where the accusations have been made

only   with   the   object   of   injuring   or

humiliating the applicant by arresting him

or her;

(vi)Impact   of   grant   of   anticipatory   bail,

particularly   in   cases  of   large  magnitude

affecting a very large number of people.

xxx xxx xxx”

2 (1980) 2 SCC 565.

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18.In  Sushila   Aggarwal   v.   State   (NCT   of

Delhi)

3

,   the   Constitution   Bench   reaffirmed   that

when considering applications for anticipatory bail,

courts should consider factors such as the nature

and gravity of the offences, the role attributed to the

applicant, and the specific facts of the case.

19.The   relief   of   Anticipatory   Bail   is   aimed   at

safeguarding individual rights. While it serves as a

crucial tool to prevent the misuse of the power of

arrest   and   protects   innocent   individuals   from

harassment,   it   also   presents   challenges   in

maintaining a delicate balance between individual

rights and the interests of justice. The tight rope we

must   walk   lies   in   striking   a   balance   between

safeguarding individual rights and protecting public

interest. While the right to liberty and presumption

3 (2018) 7 SCC 731.

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of innocence are vital, the court must also consider

the gravity of the offence, the impact on society, and

the need for a fair and free investigation. The court's

discretion in weighing these interests in the facts

and circumstances of each individual case becomes

crucial to ensure a just outcome.

20.Adverting to some of the undisputed facts in

this case, it is clear that the 1996 GPA has not yet

seen the light of the day. No indication regarding the

location of the original document has been placed

before   us.   In   light   of   Respondent   No.   2’s   own

contention, what transpired in 1996 was the sale of

the Subject Land through the GPA. Upon reviewing

a copy of the alleged 1996 GPA presented to the

court, the Appellants relinquished all crucial rights

pertaining to the Subject Land. These rights include

possession   of   the   land,   handling   water,   sewer,

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electricity,   power  connections,   and   other   services

related to the property, paying lease payments and

other dues, making additions or modifications to the

existing   structure   with   required   permissions,

renting out the land, issuing receipts, and managing

tenant­related matters. Furthermore, the Appellants

granted   authority   for   selling,   disposing,   or

transferring the land, entering into agreements, and

receiving consideration on behalf of the principal.

However, regardless of obtaining all the rights over

the Subject Land, Respondent No. 2 does not appear

to have ever informed the Revenue/local authorities

that   he   had   purportedly   ‘purchased’   the   Subject

Land through a GPA. The ownership of the land

always remained in the name of the Appellants in

the revenue record and no application for change of

mutation, etc. was moved by the 2

nd

  Respondent.

We are informed that at a very belated stage, after

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the execution of the alleged 1996 GPA, a portion of

the Subject Land was acquired by the Government

and compensation in this regard was paid to the

Appellants. Respondent No. 2 neither objected to the

payment of such compensation nor asserted his title

over the land, which he normally would have done

had he possessed any rights over it. It would be

incongrous to accept transfer of ownership rights in

an immovable property merely on execution of a

power of attorney.

21.We must keep in mind that the Subject Land is

a prime property situated in the National Capital

Region. Even in the year 1996, it’s value must have

been quite significant.  The 2

nd

 Respondent has so

far   not   been   able   to   show   payment   of   any

consideration to the Appellants in the year 1996.

The original GPA, as we have noted on multiple

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ocassions, is conspicuous by its absence. A certified

copy of this GPA is said to have been relied upon to

execute   the   disputed   sale   deed.   We   fail   to

understand or comprehend as to how a   bona fide

purchaser   could   pay   crores   of   rupees   as   sale

consideration  to a   person  who  neither  possesses

documents   showing   ownership   and   title   nor   has

original GPA of the true owner(s) of the property

being sold.  The fact that the sale deed was allegedly

executed without mentioning the PAN Number or

without   deducting   TDS,   underlines   the   dubious

nature of this transaction. We are equally intrigued

at the behaviour of  the Registering Authorities and

their acceptance of the conveyance deed   in the

absence of these formalities being completed. The

Sub­Registrar   and   his   officials   were   obligated   to

verify the ownership rights before registration of the

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sale deed. As per the Appellants’ claim, the   prior

original   sale   deeds   of   the   land   are   still   in   their

possession. The fact that the vendee agreed to pay

such massive sums of money to Respondent No. 2

without obtaining the original records as of now

casts   a   shadow   over   the   legitimacy   of   the

transaction.

22.It warrants mention here that the Appellants

are elderly couple. Being NRIs, the majority of their

time is spent abroad. They have stated that they

were   not   in   India   at   the   time   of   execution   of

disputed sale deed. The Appellants’ claim that the

market value of the land is not less than   Rs. 50

crores, although not got verified yet by a valuation

expert, does not appear to be far off the mark. There

is a serious allegation of under­valuation of the land

at the time of execution of the allegedly fraudulent

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sale deed.  The contention that the consideration of

Rs.6.60 crores is much less than the market value

of the Subject Land, thus, also requires a deeper

probe.

23.We   are   not   oblivious   of   the   fact   that

Respondent No. 2 is said to have applied for the

certified copy of the 1996 GPA in February, 2022

after a period of 26 years since its execution.  It is

also unclear  why, given that when the Subject Land

is situated in Gurugram District, the GPA in relation

to the property  was registered in Kalkaji, New Delhi.

It raises some suspicion regarding the genuineness

of the  GPA. There is, thus, overwhelming and clear

cut prima facie evidence to indicate that the version

of events  provided by Respondent No. 2, the buyers

of the property, and the Sub Registrar, should be

viewed with scepticism. These parties, prima facie,

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appear to be acting in concert with each other and

might be hands in glove, with the ulterior motive of

duping   the   absentee   land­owners.   This   angle

requires thorough consideration by the investigating

authorities.   The   Appellants   have   seemingly   fallen

prey to a well­orchestrated conspiracy hatched to

rob them of their highly valuable property. In such

cases where the victims of a crime, on account of

their old age and geographical distance, are unable

to secure justice on their own, it falls upon Courts

and the State to carry out their solemn duty   to

ward off injustice and restore the faith of one and all

in the rule of law.

24.All these material facts which go to the root of

the matter were unfortunately not brought to the

notice of the High Court.   Had there been proper

assistance, the High Court also would have given a

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free hand to the investigating agency to investigate

the role of Respondent No. 2, the vendees, the Sub

Registrar   and   other   officials   of   the   Registering

Authority,   so   as   to   uncover   the   collusion,

connivance and conspiracy, if any, engineered to

commit fraud at the expense of the Appellants.

25.Land scams in India have been a persistent

issue,   involving   fraudulent   practices   and   illegal

activities related to land acquisition, ownership, and

transactions. Scammers often create fake land titles,

forge sale deeds, or manipulate land records to show

false   ownership   or   an   encumbrance­free   status.

Organized criminal networks often plan and execute

these   intricate   scams,   exploiting   vulnerable

individuals   and   communities,   and   resorting   to

intimidation or threats to force them to vacate their

properties.   These   land   scams   not   only   result   in

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financial losses for individuals and investors but

also   disrupt   development   projects,   erode   public

trust, and hinder socio­economic progress.

26.While we do not wish to comment further on

this issue, we believe it is necessary to  foil any trace

of     organised   crime   perpetrated   by   land   mafia,

through   an   unimpaired   and   unobstructed

investigation.

27.It is inarguable that the cancellation of bail

should be done only for substantial and compelling

reasons, however, setting aside an erroneous bail

order   is   altogether   different   from   cancelling   bail.

This Court does not intend to interfere with the

judicial discretion exercised by the High Court in

granting bail to an accused as a standard practice.

However,   it   is   essential   to   ensure   that   all   the

material facts are brought on record and thereafter

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only the discretionary jurisdiction is exercised in

accordance   with   the   fundamental   principles   of

anticipatory bail laid down in various decisions over

time by this Court.

28.It is immaterial that the genuineness of the

1996   GPA   is   already   sub­judice   before   the   Civil

Court in the civil suits pending between the parties.

The appellants, owing to their age and residential

status, cannot be expected to await indefinitely for

the outcome of these civil proceedings. Regardless,

the   pendency   of   these   cases   does   not   estop   the

issues of forgery and fabrication being considered in

the course of criminal investigation. The facts of the

case   speak   for   themselves   and   an   element   of

criminality   cannot   be   ruled   out   at   this   stage.

Whether or not the alleged offences were committed

by Respondent No. 2 and his co­accused in active

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collusion   with   each   other   can   be   effectively

determined   by     a   free,   fair,   unhampered   and

dispassionate   investigation.   In   the   peculiar   facts

and   circumstances   of   this   case,   custodial

interrogation of not only Respondent No. 2 but all

other suspects is, therefore, imperative to unearth

the truth. Joining the investigation with a protective

umbrella provided by pre­arrest bail will render the

exercise of eliciting the truth ineffective in such like

case.     We   are,   as   mentioned,   also   skeptical,

suspicious and incredulous about the verification

process of the 1996 GPA carried out by the Sub­

Registrar, Kalkaji, New Delhi. Hence, the conduct of

the  officials of  Sub­Registrar Office, Kalkaji, New

Delhi is also required to be examined to take the

investigation to its logical conclusion.

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29.It   is   clarified   that   the   observations   made

hereinabove are prima facie in nature and shall not

be taken as final conclusions.

D.CONCLUSION

30.In   light   of   above   discussion   and   without

expressing any views on the merits of the case, the

appeal is allowed and the impugned order dated 31

st

May,   2022   passed   by   the   High   Court   granting

pre­arrest bail to Respondent No. 2 is hereby set

aside.

31.Given the facts and circumstances of this case,

we expand the scope of inquiry in these proceedings

and direct the Commissioner of Police, Gurugram

to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to be

headed   by   an   officer   not   below   the   rank   of   Dy.

Superintendent of Police along with two Inspectors

as   its   members.   The   SIT   shall   take   over   the

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investigation   forthwith.   The   SIT   shall   have   the

liberty to subject Respondent No. 2, the vendee(s),

the   Sub   Registrar/officials,   or   other   suspects   to

custodial   interrogation   to   arrive   at   a   definite

conclusion, strictly in accordance with law.

32.In case the vendees, the officers/officials of the

Registering Authority have secured anticipatory bail

from Sessions Court/High Court, the SIT shall be at

liberty to seek suitable modifications to such orders

so that no impediment is caused in carrying out a

fair and free investigation.

33.No interlocutory/interim order passed by the

Civil Court shall obstruct the ongoing investigation.

The Civil Court shall not, from this point forth, pass

any such order in pending civil suits which may

hamper the ongoing investigation.

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34.The   SIT   shall   conclude   the   investigation   as

early as possible and not later than two months

from the date of this order.

35.The Commissioner of Police, Gurugram shall

be personally responsible for  monitoring the day to

day investigation.

36.The authorities of NCT of Delhi shall extend

full cooperation in the matter of verification of the

genuineness   of   the   GPA   alleged   to   have   been

registered in the office of Sub Registrar, Kalkaji, New

Delhi in the year 1996.

…………………………..J.

     [Surya Kant]

…………………………..J.

       [C.T. Ravikumar]

New Delhi;

July 07, 2023

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