New Delhi, February 17 The Supreme Court on Tuesday overturned a November 2025 order granting bail to an accused in a cheating case, stating that the Allahabad High Court should not have blindly applied the principle of parity to him.
A bench of Justices Sanjay Kumar and K Vinod Chandran referred to several earlier verdicts of the top court in bail matters, including those involving a history-sheeter and an alleged contract killer.
"Although the observations made in some of the above cases were in the context of heinous offences, which is not the case presently, we may note that the value of life and liberty of members of society is not limited only to their 'person' but would also extend to the quality of their life, including their economic well-being," the bench said.
It further stated, "In offences of a pecuniary nature, where innocent people are cheated of their hard-earned monies by conmen, who make it their life's pursuit to exploit and feast upon the gullibility of others, the factors mentioned above must necessarily be weighed while dealing with the alleged offenders' pleas for grant of bail".
Dealing with the case, the bench said the counter affidavit filed by the state clearly demonstrated that the accused was a habitual offender.
It said the number of diverse and unconnected aliases, fake IDs, and deliberate changes of identity, including his father's name, clearly manifest his nefarious intention to dupe innocent victims and cheat them.
"Further, the fact that respondent no.1 (accused) was granted bail earlier but chose to indulge in the same activities once again, resulting in the registration of multiple FIRs over the years, demonstrates that he is a career criminal and a menace to society," the bench said.
It said the high court ought not to have blindly extended the principle of parity to him without considering the particular and distinctive features of his individual case.
While setting aside the high court's Lucknow bench order granting bail in the 2023 case, the apex court asked the state to ensure that the trial in the case is expedited by taking all necessary measures.
The bench delivered its verdict on an appeal filed by the complainant challenging the bail granted to the accused.
The top court noted that the accused was arrested in August last year after absconding for over one-and-a-half years, and his bail plea was rejected by a sessions court in Bahraich.
The accused later moved the high court, which granted him bail.
