Regular bail in a murder conspiracy case granted on parity, prolonged custody, and limited evidentiary value of call records.

Regular bail was granted in a murder conspiracy matter where parity with a co-accused, prolonged custody of more than five years, and the incomplete trial weighed in favour of release. The Court treated the petitioner's alleged role as that of an intermediary as lesser than the principal conspirator, who had already obtained bail. It also noted that call detail records were only corroborative and their evidentiary value would be tested at trial, not at the bail stage. The absence of misuse of interim bail and the completion of public witness examination further supported admission to bail subject to conditions.

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Issues: Whether the petitioner was entitled to regular bail in a murder conspiracy case considering parity with co-accused, the period of custody, and the evidentiary value of the material relied upon by the prosecution.

Analysis: The petitioner had undergone more than five years of custody, the trial had not concluded, and the co-accused said to be the main conspirator had already been granted regular bail. The role attributed to the petitioner was that of an intermediary, which was treated as lesser than that of the principal accused. The Court also noted that call detail records could at best be corroborative and their evidentiary value would be examined at trial, not at the stage of bail. The absence of misuse of interim bail and the completion of examination of public witnesses further supported release on bail.

Conclusion: The petitioner was entitled to regular bail and was admitted to bail subject to conditions.

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