N SOMAN Vs. STATE OF KERALA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Petitioners, three in number, who are father and two sons, seek anticipatory bail on the allegation that the Kottarakkara Police are at their heels at the instance of one Surendran who is the Rationing Inspector of that area.

(2.) Learned Public Prosecutor on instructions submitted that petitioners 2 and 3 have been deleted from the array of accused. If so, the apprehension of arrest and harassment entertained by petitioners 2 and 3 is unfounded. With regard to the first petitioner, the allegation against him is that he had misused a gas cylinder meant for domestic purpose and he obstructed the Rationing Inspector, a public servant from affixing notice issued by the District Collector.

(3.) Having regard to the nature of the allegations levelled against the 1st petitioner and the other circumstances of the case, I am inclined to grant anticipatory bail to the 1st petitioner. Accordingly, a direction is issued to the officer-in-charge of the police station concerned to release the 1st petitioner on bail for a period of one month in the event of his arrest in connection with the above case on his executing a bond for Rs.10,000/- with two solvent sureties each for the like amount to the satisfaction of the said officer and subject to the following conditions: