Amit Khokkar v. State of Haryana
In the High Court of Punjab & Haryana
CRM-M 31843/2023 (O&M)
Before Justice Alka Sarin
Decided on November 21, 2023

Relevancy of the case: Bail application in a case involving allegations of cheating, sexual harassment, and extortion after the settlement between parties

Statutes and Provisions Involved

• The Information Technology Act, 2000 (Section 66D)
• The Indian Penal Code, 1860 (Sections 354A, 354D, 384, 419, 420, 427, 499, 506, 509)
• The Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (Section 439)

Relevant Facts of the Case

• The petitioner had been in police custody for nine months and six days. Allegations against him were identity theft, sexual harassment, stalking, extortion, cheating, mischief, defamation, criminal intimidation, and insulting modesty of a woman.
• While the current petition was pending, the petitioner and the respondent entered into a compromise on June 30, 2023. They filed another petition for quashing the FIR. The court also directed the parties’ statements to be recorded.

Prominent Arguments by the Advocates

• The petitioner’s counsel argued that the parties had entered into a compromise. The counsel also submitted that the petitioner has already been incarcerated for nine months and six days, and he has a clear previous record.
• The respondents’ counsels also submitted that the parties have made a compromise.

Opinion of the Bench

• Since the parties have compromised, keeping the petitioner behind bars is pointless. The trial will also take some time.

Final Decision

• The court accepted the bail application with conditions.

Nandita Karan Yadav, an undergraduate student at the National Law Institute University, Bhopal, prepared this case summary during her internship with The Cyber Blog India in May/June 2024.