“Callousness, deceit”, Cal HC berates lawyers, litigants for multiple bail applications in same matter

The Calcutta High Court has come down heavily on litigants and lawyers who filed multiple anticipatory bail applications without disclosing that their earlier plea with regard to the same subject matter had been rejected..A Bench of Justices Sanjib Banerjee and Suvra Ghosh in its order stated that the matter shows a dangerous trend of irresponsibility, callousness, and deceit while also criticising the lawyers involved in the case stating,.“These two matters show a dangerous trend of irresponsibility, callousness and deceit. Some of it probably attaches to the robes that present the petitions.”.Three petitioners had applied for anticipatory bail without disclosing that the High Court had, by way of an order dated March 1, 2017, rejected their prayer..Another petitioner had filed two anticipatory bail applications, one was yet to be listed. Thus, if one petition did not succeed, then she could have a second shot in the same matter..“The petitioner Nos. 1, 3 and 4 in C.R.M. 10646 of 2018 have glibly applied a second time for anticipatory bail without disclosing that by an order dated March 1, 2017 passed by this Court their prayer stood rejected. As far as the second petitioner in C.R.M. 10646 of 2018 is concerned, this is her first petition, but there is a second petition which appears in the list as C.R.M. 10981 of 2018 and which is in connection with the same complaint case. The only possible inference is that if the second petitioner did not succeed in the first case, there was a parallel matter waiting where she could have another bite of the cherry.”.The Court noted that such practice has to be denounced and deprecated..It said that the petitioners will pay dearly for the practice and ordered that all four of them be taken into custody forthwith. The Court also directed that they won’t be entitled to seek bail till the completion of trial and upon discharge or acquittal..“These petitioners will pay dearly for this practice and the deliberate attempt to mislead this Court. All four petitioners should be taken into custody as expeditiously as possible and will not be entitled to seek bail till the completion of trial and upon discharge or acquittal.”.Read the order below.