Inside Court No. at Nainital on a chilly December morning, the Uttarakhand High Court quietly allowed a bail plea that had been pending for months. The case involved Sirmour Singh, already convicted by a Haridwar sessions court, now seeking temporary freedom while his criminal appeal awaits a full hearing. The division bench, after hearing both sides, leaned towards granting relief-without reopening the merits of the conviction.
Background
Sirmour Singh was earlier found guilty under Section 201 read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code, which broadly deals with causing evidence to disappear with common intention. For this, the trial court had sentenced him to seven years of rigorous imprisonment along with a fine. He was also convicted under Section 506 IPC, relating to criminal intimidation, and given an additional one-year sentence.
The conviction came through a judgment dated early September 2023, passed by the Second Additional District and Sessions Judge, Haridwar. Since then, Singh has remained behind bars. His appeal against the conviction is pending before the High Court, and the present application sought bail during this interim period.
Court’s Observations
Arguing for the appellant, counsel pointed out that as many as 17 prosecution witnesses were examined during trial, yet, according to the defence, the evidence fell short of being “cogent and reliable.” It was also stressed that Singh had been on bail throughout the trial and never once violated any condition imposed on him. Being a permanent resident of Haridwar district, the defence argued, there was little chance of him absconding.
The State opposed the plea, urging the court to keep in mind the seriousness of the offences. Still, after hearing both sides, the bench of Justice Alok Kumar Verma and Justice Alok Mahra made it clear that it was not entering into the strengths or weaknesses of the evidence at this stage.
“The bench observed, ‘without expressing any opinion as to the merits or demerits of the case, we are of the view that the appellant deserves bail during the pendency of this appeal.’” The judges also took note of the fact that Singh had been in judicial custody since September 2023.
Decision
Allowing the first bail application, the High Court directed that Sirmour Singh be released on bail during the pendency of his criminal appeal. The release, however, comes with conditions: he must execute a personal bond and furnish two reliable sureties of the same amount, to the satisfaction of the trial court. With that, the bail application stood allowed on 20 December 2025.
Case Title: Sirmour Singh vs State of Uttarakhand
Case No.: First Bail Application (IA No. 01 of 2023) in Criminal Appeal No. 652 of 2023
Case Type: Criminal Appeal – Bail Application
Decision Date: 20 December 2025
