SUPREME COURT OF INDIA – NON BAILABLE WARRANTS CAN NOT BE ISSUED UNLESS AN ACCUSED IS LIKELY TO TAMPER THE EVIDENCE OR IS LIKELY TO EVADE THE PROCESS OF LAW
Supreme Court Of India
Date of Judgement: 16 August 2013
There cannot be any straight-jacket formula for issuance of warrants but as a general rule, unless an accused is likely to tamper or destroy the evidence or is likely to evade the process of law, issuance of non-bailable warrants should be avoided. …. This could be when firstly it is reasonable to believe that the person will not voluntarily appear in court; or secondly that the police authorities are unable to find the person to serve him with a summon and thirdly if it is considered that the person could harm someone if not placed into custody immediately. In the absence of the aforesaid reasons, the issue of non-bailable warrant a fortiori to the application under Section 319 of the Cr.P.C. would extinguish the very purpose of existence of procedural laws which preserve and protect the right of an accused in a trial of a case. …. We modify the orders passed by the Trial Court and confirmed by the High Court, and direct that summons be issued against the appellant for his appearance instead of non- bailable warrants which were ordered to be issued against him.