Mumbai, February 21, 2024 – The Additional Sessions Judge, Shri N. P. Tribhuwan, presiding over Court Room No. 23 at the City Civil and Sessions Court in Greater Mumbai, has granted bail to Satyavan Ramnarayan Soni, a 26-year-old labourer from Uttar Pradesh. Soni was arrested in connection with Crime No. 41/2024 registered at Pydhonie Police Station for allegedly stealing garments worth ₹32,42,400 from his employer’s shop.
Soni was booked under Section 381 of the Indian Penal Code, which pertains to theft by a clerk or servant of property in possession of his master.
The prosecution’s case, based on a complaint filed by Suraj Babulal Soni, the owner of Nilam Garments at Masjid Bander, Mumbai, alleges that Satyavan, one of his six employees, was captured on CCTV footage stealing garments material over a period of 18 days starting from November 27, 2023. The complainant stated that he noticed missing material while at the shop counter and later reviewed CCTV footage, which allegedly showed Satyavan taking the garments and transporting them in a taxi. The footage also reportedly showed Satyavan giving the stolen goods to a clothes merchant named Dhara Pathak. Upon verification, the total value of the stolen gowns and skirts was estimated to be ₹32,42,400. It was noted that Satyavan had left for his native place in Uttar Pradesh around the time the theft was discovered, citing urgent work.
Ms. Sheela Gupta, the learned Advocate for the applicant/accused, argued that the Investigating Officer (IO) had arrested Soni merely on suspicion. She suggested that other individuals might have committed the theft and pointed out that no one had witnessed Soni entering or leaving the shop with the stolen goods. Furthermore, she stated that no recoveries were made from the accused and that he had no prior criminal record.
Mrs. Ranjana Budhwant, the learned APP for the State, opposed the bail application. She informed the court that Soni was arrested on January 23, 2024, in Joniha, Fatehpur, Uttar Pradesh, and was remanded to police custody until January 29, 2024. During interrogation, he allegedly confessed to the theft. The APP also stated that some of the stolen articles, worth ₹47,325, were recovered from Dhara Pathak. However, the remaining stolen material, valued at ₹31,95,075, was yet to be recovered. The APP argued that if Soni was released on bail, he might not remain present for the trial as he is a resident of Uttar Pradesh. She also emphasized the need for further investigation into potential co-accused and other possible theft crimes committed by them.
Judge Tribhuwan, after considering the arguments and the facts of the case, noted that while the offence under Section 381 of the IPC carries a potential imprisonment of up to seven years and a fine, Soni was in police custody from January 23 to January 29, 2024, and no recoveries were made from him during this period. The court also acknowledged the recovery of goods worth ₹47,325 from Dhara Pathak and the fact that the accused had no prior criminal record.
Taking into account the nature of the allegations and the offences, the court deemed it desirable to release the accused/applicant on bail with certain conditions.
Order:
- Criminal Bail Application No. 381 of 2024 is allowed as under.
- Applicant/accused Satyavan Ramnarayan Soni is released on bail in Crime No. 41/2024 registered with Pydhonie Police Station, Mumbai, subject to the following conditions: i) The applicant shall execute a Personal Bond for a sum of ₹25,000 with one or more sureties in the like amount. ii) The applicant shall not tamper with any of the prosecution witnesses, directly or indirectly. iii) The applicant shall not misuse his liberty. iv) The applicant shall cooperate with the investigation and make himself available for interrogation whenever required. v) The applicant shall furnish his detailed address and mobile number to the investigation officer and the concerned court. In case of any change in his residence/address or mobile number, he shall promptly inform the I.O. and the concerned court. vi) Bail shall be furnished before the learned trial court. vii) The learned trial court shall be informed of this order.
The order was directly dictated, checked, and signed by Additional Sessions Judge N. P. Tribhuwan on February 21, 2024, and uploaded on the same day. This decision indicates that while the allegations against the accused are serious, the court considered factors such as the lack of recovery from the accused, his lack of criminal antecedents, and the completion of his initial police custody while imposing conditions to ensure his cooperation with the ongoing investigation and his presence during the trial.