P&H High Court Grants Bail After Key Witnesses Turn Hostile in Sector-26 Knife Assault Case

Case Name: Karan vs. State of UT Chandigarh
Date of Judgment: 10 November 2025
Citation: CRM-M-25898-2025
Bench: Hon’ble Mr. Justice Rajesh Bhardwaj

Held: The Punjab & Haryana High Court granted regular bail to the petitioner in a knife assault case arising from FIR No. 0134 of 2024. The Court noted that both material witnesses—the complainant and the injured—had been examined as PW-3 and PW-4 and had not supported the prosecution. It held that the petitioner had already remained in custody for 10 months and 11 days, had no other criminal case, and that the trial would take time. The Court ruled that these factors justified bail.

Summary: The FIR alleged that 4–5 boys armed with knives and helmets assaulted the complainant and his cousin near a public toilet at Sector-26, Chandigarh. The petitioner was not named in the FIR, but police arrested him four days later. The defence argued that he was falsely implicated and stressed that both star witnesses had turned hostile. The State opposed bail, claiming the petitioner was present at the spot and that a screwdriver had been recovered from him. It pointed out that 6 out of 21 witnesses had been examined. The Court reviewed the case material and noted the collapse of direct testimony, the petitioner’s clean antecedents, and the considerable custody period. It held that the remaining allegations would be tested only at trial, and prolonged incarceration was unwarranted.

Decision: The petition was allowed. The petitioner was ordered to be released on regular bail on furnishing bail and surety bonds to the satisfaction of the trial Court/Duty Magistrate. The Court clarified that nothing in the order shall influence the merits of the trial.