Lord Shashwat 04 March 2020
Joy Bose 05 March 2020
Bail provisions are provided under the MCOCA Act,
21. Modified application of certain provisions of the code.
(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Code or in any other law, every offence punishable under this Act, shall be deemed to be a cognizable offence within the meaning.
(2) Section 167 of the Code shall apply in relation to a case involving an offence punishable under this Act subject to the modifications that, in sub-section(2),--
(a) the reference to "'fifteen days", and "sixty days" wherever they occur, shall be construed as references to "thirty days" and "ninety days" respectively;
(b) after the proviso, the following proviso shall be inserted, namely :-
"Provided further that if it is not possible to complete the investigation within the said period of ninety days, the Special Court shall extend the said period upto one hundred and eighty days, on the report of the Public Prosecutor indicating the progress of the investigation and the specific reasons for the detention of the accused beyond the said period of ninety days"
(3) Nothing in section 438 of the Code shall apply in relation to any case involving the arrest of any person on an accusation of having committed an offence punishable under this Act.
(4) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Code, no person accused of an offence punishable under this Act shall, if in custody, be released on bail or on his own bond, unless
a) the Public Prosecutor has been given an opportunity to oppose the application of such release; and
(b) where the Public Prosecutor opposes the application, the Court is satisfied that there are reasonable grounds for believing that he is not guilty of such offence and that lie is not likely to commit any offence while on bail.
(5) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Code, the accused shall not be granted bail if it is noticed by the Court that he was on bail in an offence under this Act, or under any other Act,
on the date of the offence in question.
(6) The limitations on granting of bail specified in sub-section (4) are in addition to the limitations under the Code or any other law for the time being in force on the granting of bail.
(7) The police officer seeking the custody of any person for pre- indictment or pre-trial interrogation from the judicial custody shall file a written statement explaining the reason for seeking such, custody and also for the delay, if any in seeking the police custody.
Regards,
Joy Bose