Law with Regard to Grant of Bail

In Siddharam Satlingappa Mhetre versus State of Maharashtra and others, (2011), the Supreme Court held :-

The following factors and parameters can be taken into consideration while dealing with the 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 the 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.

(vii) The courts must evaluate the entire available material against the accused very carefully. The court must also clearly comprehend the exact role of the accused in the case. The cases in which accused is implicated with the help of sections 34 and 149 of the Indian Penal Code, the court should consider with even greater care and caution because over implication in the cases is a matter of common knowledge and concern;

(viii) While considering the prayer for grant of anticipatory bail, a balance has to be struck between two factors namely, no prejudice should be caused to the free, fair and full investigation and there should be prevention of harassment, humiliation and unjustified detention of the accused;

(ix) The court to consider reasonable apprehension of tampering of the witness or apprehension of threat to the complainant;

(x) Frivolity in prosecution should always be considered and it is only the element of genuineness that shall have to be reconsidered in the matter of grant of bail and in the event of there being some doubt as to the genuineness of the prosecution, in the normal course of events, the accused is entitled to an order of bail."

In Prasanta Kumar Sarkar versus Ashis Chatterjee and another (2010),  the Supreme Court held :-

(i) whether there is any prima facie or reasonable ground to believe that the accused had committed the offence; 

(ii) nature and gravity of the accusation; 

(iii) severity of the punishment in the event of conviction; 

(iv) danger of the accused absconding or fleeing, if released on bail; 

(v) character, behaviour, means, position and standing of the accused; 

(vi) likelihood of the offence being repeated; 

(viii) reasonable apprehension of the witnesses being influenced; and 

(ix) danger, of course, of justice being thwarted by grant of bail.