In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court stated that courts cannot impose conditions amounting to substantive relief in pending civil disputes when granting anticipatory bail. The apex court’s decision came while partly allowing appeals by accused individuals against a Madras High Court order that had restricted them from interfering with a disputed property until the civil suit’s conclusion.
The bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K.V. Viswanathan emphasized that conditions imposed during anticipatory bail should not resemble granting relief in civil proceedings. The case originated from an FIR in Tamil Nadu’s Ramanathapuram district, involving allegations of trespass, property damage, and criminal intimidation under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.
The accused individuals were granted anticipatory bail by the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, with a condition barring interference in the disputed property until the suit’s resolution. However, the Supreme Court overturned this condition, noting that it exceeded the permissible scope of anticipatory bail. The court directed that the remaining bail conditions imposed by the High Court would still be applicable.
The Supreme Court advised that if the complainant feared peace breaches or property interference, appropriate remedies should be sought before the civil court or another competent forum. It stressed that any concerns regarding peace breaches or property interference should be addressed through legal channels.
