PRAVEEN K. P. Vs. STATE OF KERALA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) These two writ petitions are filed by the same petitioner seeking reliefs relating to crimes registered against him in various police stations. Since the issue raised in these writ petitions are inter-connected and they were heard together and are being disposed of by this judgment.

(2.) In W.P.(Crl.) No.230 of 2023, petitioner seeks for a direction to club together all the crimes registered against him and also to transfer all the cases to the Designated Court under the BUDS Act. In W.P.(Crl.) No.381 of 2023, petitioner seeks a declaration that he is entitled to be enlarged on bail in all cases registered against him as detailed in the document produced in the writ petition in view of the decision in Abhishek Singh Chauhan v. Union of India and Others (2022 SCC OnLine SC 1936) by treating the first crime registered against him as the principal FIR. In the latter writ petition, the reliefs sought also include a declaration that judicial custody in all the crimes against the petitioner be reckoned from 13/1/2023, the date of remand in the first case registered against him.

(3.) On 4/1/2023, Crime No.42 of 2023 of Thrissur East Police Station, alleging offences punishable under Sec. 406 and 420 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 was registered against the petitioner. Soon, several other crimes were also registered against him. He was arrested on 11/1/2023, and since then, he remains in judicial custody.