In a brief yet impactful hearing on Wednesday, the Supreme Court set aside a Madhya Pradesh High Court order and granted bail to Om Prakash @ Mohit Singh, who is serving a 10-year sentence in a fake currency printing case. The bench, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, seemed visibly conscious of the time already spent in jail by the appellant, who appeared through legal aid.
Background
The case goes back to March 2017, when police arrested Om Prakash for allegedly printing counterfeit currency notes. A trial court later convicted him under Sections 489A to 489D of the IPC-laws dealing with making and circulating fake notes-and handed him a decade-long prison term in September 2021.
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Since then, his criminal appeal has been stuck before the Madhya Pradesh High Court. Over the years, Om Prakash filed six applications seeking suspension of his sentence. Every single one was rejected. A seventh application was pending when the matter reached the Supreme Court.
The appellant’s lawyer told the bench that his client belongs to a marginalised community and has been fighting the case with the help of free legal aid. That point seemed to strike a chord inside Court No. 1.
Court’s Observations
The bench acknowledged that the appeal filed in 2021 is unlikely to be decided anytime soon. “The bench observed, ‘He has already served more than four-and-a-half years… the appeal will take its own time,’” indicating concern about prolonged incarceration.
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The judges also took note that Om Prakash has no criminal history, a factor that usually weighs heavily in bail decisions. Another important detail was the socio-economic background of the appellant, which the court said could not be ignored while assessing fairness and access to justice.
Interestingly, despite the defence informing the court that a fresh bail request was already pending before the High Court, the Supreme Court refused to send him back. “Why make him run around again?” one of the judges remarked informally, reflecting a practical approach rather than a purely procedural one.
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Decision
In the end, the Supreme Court allowed the appeal, suspended the sentence, and directed Om Prakash’s release on bail after furnishing appropriate bonds before the trial court. The court also declared that his seventh bail plea before the High Court would now be treated as infructuous, meaning it has no further purpose. The order concluded there, with no additional directions from the bench.
Case Title: Om Prakash @ Mohit Singh vs. State of Madhya Pradesh
Case No.: Criminal Appeal (Arising out of SLP (Crl.) No. 17169/2025)
Case Type: Criminal Appeal – Suspension of Sentence / Bail
Decision Date: 26 November 2025
