In Brief
The Supreme Court of India clarified the law on anticipatory bail under Section 438 of the Criminal Procedure Code, 1973. The Court held that anticipatory bail should not be limited to a fixed period as a matter of course; it should continue till the end of trial unless specific circumstances warrant otherwise. Normal conditions under Section 437(3) should be imposed; restrictive conditions limiting duration are discretionary based on case-specific facts. The life of anticipatory bail does not automatically end upon summons or charge-framing, unless the accused breaches conditions or evades justice. The Court overruled multiple prior decisions imposing routine time-limits on anticipatory bail, reaffirming the broad protective scope of the provision for personal liberty.
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