Mrs. Shehnaz Sananh Andish vs Assistant Collector of Customs

Mrs. Shehnaz Andish, an Iranian national suffering from chronic bronchitis and having a seven-year old child Arash-Ald suffering from congenital heart disease, applies for an order that she may be released on bail in an offence under the Customs Act involving gold of the value of nearly Rs. 17 lakhs.

The O.P.D. papers of Cama Hospital reveal that the Applicant has been described as an old "known case of bronchitis". The investigation was made and she was treated. One of her sons was examined by cardiologist whose certificate has been produced. The investigation such as electro-cardiogram, echogram was done. The diagnosis is congenital heart disease.

The Applicant is a married lady and is, no doubt, a foreigner. Her own health and the child''s health, which is serious enough to demand her presence with the child, are factors which need to be taken into account.

I have anxiously considered the vehement opposition by the learned Public Prosecutor. He urged that having regard to the fact that many foreigners accused, required for trial in India have absconded after their release no bail, the Applicant should not be released on bail. I am not obvious to the cases of the accused who are foreign nationals, who have absconded, presumably on fabricated passports. As the Sessions Judge of Greater Bombay as also in this Court, such a question has arisen before me on a number of occasions. In some cases, I rejected the applications for bail, in others I have granted them. But the conditions, such the health of the accused, the health of the child and other circumstances which demand that she be a free person, were always considered relevant, unless however, the medical evidence had been demonstrated to have been fabricated or procured for the purpose of bolstering up a false application. In this case, the Applicant was examined in a public hospital. There was no question of procuring the evidence of her sickness. No doubt, the learned Magistrate called for a report from the doctor in the Prison Hospital, who merely certified that there was no bleeding from the mouth, which was perhaps the complaint of the Applicant. But the report is not inconsistent with the known history of chronic bronchitis. The doctor''s own report shows that on the date on which he appeared in Court, the Applicant''s sickness is genuine and has to be accepted. But I do not consider that Bronchitis is such a disease that the Applicant should be released on bail. The real reason is her child''s illness.

So far as the seven-year old child is concerned, the prosecution has not been able to dispute that the child does suffer from congenital heart disease. If a seven-year old child suffers from such a disease, I think these the mother, if in prison, should be permitted to live with the child.

So far as the possibility of absconding is concerned, the Court can take precaution of impounding her passport. The Customs Authorities can take such precautions at the airports as they think are proper. But merely because there is a chance that the foreigner may abscond, I do not think that she should be deprived of the liberty in the circumstances of her own illness and the illness of her child.

The trial of the case and economy of the country are important. But the human element highlighted by the child''s need of the mother in these circumstances, is no less important. On a balancing of all factors, I make the following order.

The Applicant shall be released on bail in the sum of Rs. 1,50,000/- with on surety in the like amount. Liberty to deposit cash in lieu of bail bond is rejected. The Applicant shall furnish her residential address in Bombay and shall report to the Respondent No. 1 every Monday between 5.00 p.m. she shall deposit her passport with the Trial Court.