The Supreme Court has reinforced that bail conditions should be proportionate, reasonable and directly linked to ensuring judicial proceedings rather than trampling upon an individual’s civil liberties. According to the top court, judicial discretion in bail matters ought to serve the criminal justice system’s objectives without encroaching on individual freedoms or civil matters. The judgment emphasised that any conditions imposed should be directly tied to facilitating justice, securing the accused’s presence, and preventing any misuse of freedom to interfere with the case or obstruct justice. (HT PHOTO) A bench of justices CT Ravikumar and Sandeep Mehta clarified that the fundamental purpose of bail is to ensure the accused’s presence during trial without infringing upon civil liberties or imposing unnecessary restrictions. The judgment emphasised that any conditions imposed should be directly tied to facilitating justice, securing the accused’s presence, and preventing any misuse of freedom to interfere with the case or obstruct justice. “The fundamental purpose of bail is to ensure the accused’s presence during the investigation and trial. Any conditions imposed must be reasonable and …