The Supreme Court has granted anticipatory bail to Gursewak Singh, a Punjab government official, in a 2021 corruption case. The Court criticized the Punjab and Haryana High Court for how it handled Singh’s plea.
Singh sought anticipatory bail after the graft charges were levied against him. The High Court granted bail to a co-accused who allegedly accepted the bribe but denied the same relief to Singh. It also questioned why Singh was not arrested over the last four years and why the chargesheet had not been filed.
The Supreme Court bench, consisting of Justices JB Pardiwala and Sandeep Mehta, described the High Court’s order as “cryptic and unusual.” The Court said the High Court should have granted or denied bail based on merits. Justice Pardiwala also pointed out that the delay in arresting Singh for four years should have been in his favor.
While the High Court proceedings are still ongoing, the Supreme Court granted anticipatory bail. If Singh is arrested, he should be released on bail subject to conditions set by the investigating officer.
