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IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA

CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION

CRIMINAL APPEAL NO.  283   OF 2013 (@ SPECIAL LEAVE PETITION(CRIMINAL)NO.4625  OF 2009)

RAJ KUMAR LUTHRA & ANR. ... APPELLANTS

VERSUS

STATE OF PUNJAB & ANR. ... RESPONDENTS

O R D E R

1. Leave granted.

2. This appeal is directed against an interim order passed by  

the  High  Court  of  Punjab  and  Haryana  at  Chandigarh  in  Criminal  

Misc.No.10716-M of 2009 (O & M), dated 23rd April, 2009, whereby the  

High Court has issued notice and the appellants were directed to  

appear before Chief Judicial Magistrate, Gurdaspur and deposit an  

amount of Rs.15 lakhs.

3. This Court, vide order dated 24th July, 2009, while issuing  

notice, has passed the following order :

“.... In the meanwhile, subject to the petitioners'  depositing the amount of Rs.15 lakhs within four weeks'  from today, the operation of the imopugned order shall  remain stayed.  However, the amount so deposited shall not  be disbursed without the leave of this Court.

The petitioners shall not be arrested till the next  date.”

4. In  the  facts  and  circumstances  of  the  case  and  having  

heard the learned counsel for the parties to the lis, we are of the  

considered opinion that the   order  dated 24th July, 2009 passed by

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this Court be made absolute and is made absolute. The appeal is  

disposed of accordingly.

Liberty is also reserved to the appellants to request for  

disposal of the application filed by him under Section 482 of the  

Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, pending before the High Court.

Ordered accordingly.

...................J.                                                 (H.L. DATTU)

...................J.                                                 (RANJAN GOGOI)

NEW DELHI; FEBRUARY 08, 2013