Punjab & Haryana High Court Denies Regular Bail in Murder Case Involving Group Assault and Knife Injuries

Case Name: Vishal @ Billa vs. State of Punjab
Date of Judgment: 13 November 2025
Citation: CRM-M-45458-2025
Bench: Hon’ble Mrs. Justice Manisha Batra

Held: The Punjab and Haryana High Court dismissed the petition seeking regular bail, holding that the petitioner faced serious allegations of participating in a group assault that resulted in fatal knife injuries to the victim. The Court observed that although the FIR initially contained lesser offences, Section 302 IPC was added following the victim’s death, and the petitioner’s disclosure statement and recovered evidence indicated prima facie involvement. The Court held that the nature of accusation, gravity of the offence, potential punishment, and possibility of tampering with prosecution witnesses outweighed the petitioner’s plea for release.

Summary: The FIR was registered after a late-night altercation outside a shed where loud music was being played. It was alleged that when the complainant objected, a group of youths assaulted him and later attacked his relative Gurwinder Singh with a knife, who later succumbed to injuries. The petitioner was not initially named but was implicated based on a supplementary statement and was later arrested, during which he allegedly made a disclosure statement naming co-accused. The defence argued that the case involved cross versions, that the petitioner suffered injuries in the same incident, that there was delay in lodging the FIR, and that CCTV footage did not depict him assaulting anyone. It was also contended that the victim’s death occurred months later due to medical complications rather than directly from the injuries. The prosecution opposed bail, arguing that the petitioner had inflicted the knife blow that proved fatal and had attempted to conceal evidence.

Decision: The Court held that the allegations, supported by the disclosure statement and investigation material, prima facie established the petitioner’s active role in a crime punishable with death or life imprisonment. The Court noted that length of custody alone cannot justify release where the accusations are grave and supported by material. Referring to settled legal principles governing bail in murder cases, the Court concluded that granting bail at this stage risked interference with evidence or witness intimidation. The petition was dismissed with the clarification that observations were limited to the bail stage and would not affect the merits of the trial. All pending applications were disposed of.