In Brief
The Supreme Court issued non-mandatory bail guidelines categorizing offences into four types (ordinary offences ≤7 years; serious offences punishable with death/life/>7 years; special statutory offences; economic offences) to guide trial and high courts without fettering judicial discretion. Bail consideration depends on whether the accused was arrested, cooperated in investigation, and appeared before officers. Accused who do not cooperate or answer summons may not benefit when judicial custody is needed. Trial courts may grant interim bail based on investigation conduct. The guidelines apply statutory bail provisions and balance charge seriousness with punishment severity.
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