P&H High Court Refuses Blanket Anticipatory Bail to Candidate’s Daughter Ahead of Tarn Taran Bye-Election

Case Name: Kanchanpreet Kaur vs. State of Punjab and Others
Date of Judgment: 10 November 2025
Citation: CRM-M-63195-2025
Bench: Hon’ble Ms. Justice Rupinderjit Chahal

Held: The Punjab & Haryana High Court refused to grant blanket anticipatory bail or a seven-day prior-arrest notice to the petitioner. The Court held that apprehension of a possible FIR due to political rivalry could not justify such extraordinary protection. Relying on Gurbaksh Singh Sibbia, Padam Narain Aggarwal, and Sushila Aggarwal, the Court ruled that blanket bail obstructs the statutory powers of the investigating agency and must not be issued. It held that anticipatory bail must relate to a specific offence and cannot apply to future or undefined allegations.

Summary: The petitioner, daughter of a bye-election candidate in Tarn Taran, sought blanket anticipatory bail claiming that the police might register a false FIR against her on political grounds. She alleged raids by local officials and argued that pre-emptive protection was necessary during the election. The State opposed the petition, submitting that the plea was politically motivated, filed one day before polling, and intended to create publicity. It also pointed out that canvassing had already ended under Election Commission rules. The Court reviewed binding precedents which strictly prohibit blanket anticipatory bail or directions requiring prior notice before arrest. It held that such relief would interfere with lawful investigation and could not be granted on vague apprehensions.

Decision: The petition was dismissed. The Court held that the relief sought amounted to blanket protection, which is impermissible in law. All pending applications were disposed of.