Kerala High Court Grants Anticipatory Bail To Snake Catcher Vava Suresh Accused Of Exhibiting 'Highly Poisonous Cobra' At Kozhikode College

The Kerala High Court on Friday granted anticipatory bail to snake catcher Vava Suresh in a case registered against him for allegedly displaying a venomous snake at an event in Government Medical College, Kozhikode.

Justice Viju Abraham said custodial interrogation of the petitioner may not be required for the purpose of investigation and only a limited custody be granted for the said purpose. "Therefore, I am inclined to grant bail to the petitioner subject to stringent conditions," said the court.

According to Thamarassery Forest Range Office, Kozhikode, Suresh committed offences under Sections 2, 9, 40 and 51 of the Wild Life Protection Act by displaying "a highly poisonous cobra next to the mike while delivering his speech" at the event.

Granting bail to the petitioner, the court directed him to surrender before the investigating officer on 06.01.2023, at 11 am, and subject himself for interrogation on that day and on any other day or days as directed by the investigating officer.

The Court also directed the petitioner to cooperate with the investigation. 

In the event of arrest, the court said, the petitioner shall be produced before the jurisdictional Court on the very same day and be released on bail, subject to the following conditions:

(i) The petitioner shall execute a bond for a sum of Rs.50,000/- (Rupees fifty thousand only) with two solvent sureties each for the like-sum to the satisfaction of the jurisdictional court ;

(ii) The petitioner shall appear before the investigating officer in O. R. No. 12/2022 of Thamarassery Forest Range Office, Kozhikode as and when summoned to do so;

(iii) The petitioner shall not attempt to contact the defacto complainant or interfere with the investigation or to influence or intimidate any witness in O. R. No. 12/2022 of Thamarassery Forest Range Office, Kozhikode;

(iv) The petitioner shall not involve in any other crime while on bail.

The court, before parting with the order, made it clear that it is within the power of the police to investigate the matter "and if necessary to effect recoveries on the information if any given by the petitioner, even when the petitioner is on bail as per the judgment of the Apex Court in Sushila Aggarwal and others v. State(NCT of Delhi) and another."

Advocate M R Sarin appeared for the Petitioner. 

Public Prosecutor Advocate Nagaraj Narayanan appeared for the Respondents.

Case Title: Suresh B @ Vava Suresh v. State of Kerala & Anr 

Citation: 2022 LiveLaw(Ker) 657

Click Here To Read/Download The Order