At the end of the investigation, or upon the expiry of 48 hours (whichever is earlier), if it is not established that the arrested person has committed an offence, he must be released unconditionally.
If the investigations reveal that the arrested person has or may have committed an offence, the Police may either produce the person in court or release him on Police bail pending further investigations.
Producing the accused in court: If the Police produce the accused in court, he may apply to the court to be released on bail. For certain offences i.e. bailable offences, the accused is entitled to be released on bail. However, for non-bailable offences, the court will consider the applicant to be released on bail on a case by case basis. If, the Police require the accused for further investigations, his/her application to be released on bail may be rejected by the court. However, the arrested person may apply to be released on bail at his/her subsequent appearance in court.
Releasing the accused on bail: If Police releases him on Police bail, the accused may be released after he has arranged for a bailor. The bailor must ensure that the person bailed out reports to the Police station or attends court when required. In certain cases, Police may also release the accused on a personal bond.