DEEPAK Vs. STATE OF HARYANA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Case taken up through video conferencing.

(2.) This petition for regular bail has been filed by petitioner -Deepak @ Lefty, aged about 22 years - an accused in FIR No.33 dated 17.2.2020 for the offence under Sections 387, 34 IPC (offence under Section 342 IPC added later on), registered at Police Station Uklana.

(3.) Briefly stated, the facts of the case as per prosecution story are that criminal machinery in this case was set into motion by complainant Kuldeep son of Rajpal, aged about 38 years, resident of Uklana, Hisar, who in the written complaint submitted by him addressed to SHO, Police Station Uklana stated that he is running a hotel under the name and style of 'Tamana Hotel' at Bhuna road, Uklana; on 11.2.2020 at about 6:00 p.m. when he along with his friend Krishan son of Mange Ram, resident of Hisar were sitting in room No. 107 of that hotel talking with each other, then manager of his hotel, namely, Ram Mehar handed over his mobile phone to him on which Deepak @ Lefty (present petitioner) had conversation with the complainant, who asked him about his whereabouts; after that mobile call, Deepak @ Lefty along with four other unidentified persons came to room No.107 of his hotel, where Deepak @ Lefty told the complainant that he was member of Bittu Gang and if the complainant wanted to run hotel, then he would have to pay them Rs.10 lakhs as ransom by Thursday, otherwise, he would be killed; Deepak @ Lefty further threatened the complainant that in case he lodged any complaint with the police, then they would kill him; on 12.2.2020 at about 12:00/1:00 in the afternoon, Deepak @ Lefty made a call to the complainant on his mobile phone threatening that in case complainant did not come to meet him by the next date, then he would kill him; the complainant had recorded that conversation; further on 14.2.2020, the complainant received a WhatsApp call on his mobile phone from Kala Nara, elder brother of petitioner/accused threatening that since the complainant had not paid Rs.10 lakhs to them, they would kill him; the complainant was terrified and had not informed the police promptly; subsequently he gathered courage and intimated the police about the incident; he stated that since CCTV cameras were installed in his hotel, he would hand over the CCTV footage of 11.2.2020 along with mobile call recording to the police.