Ravi Agarwal @ Ravi Vs the State of Jharkhand — Murder and Culpable Homicide | Jharkhand HC (2025)

Ravi Agarwal @ Ravi Vs the State of Jharkhand — Murder and Culpable Homicide | Jharkhand HC (2025)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Dismissed

Issue for consideration

Whether the petitioner, facing trial for the murder of his wife under Sections 302 and 120B of the I.P.C. and Section 27 of the Arms Act, should be enlarged on bail.

Court's answer

Taking into account the nature of the allegations against the petitioner (murder of his wife, supported by his own confession, forensic findings on the recovered pistols and WhatsApp chat evidence), the court was not inclined to enlarge the petitioner on bail; accordingly, his prayer for bail stands rejected.

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Criminal bail application (B.A. No. 1720 of 2025, High Court of Jharkhand, Ranchi; Hon'ble Mr. Justice Ambuj Nath; judgment dated 06/01.09.2025) by Ravi Agarwal @ Ravi, accused in S.T. Case No.165 of 2024 (G.R. Case No.237 of 2024; Chandil P.S. Case No. 75 of 2024) under Sections 302 and 120B of the I.P.C. and Section 27 of the Arms Act, pending before the learned Additional District Judge, Chandil. The petitioner's wife, Jyoti Agarwal, was shot dead by unknown persons on 29.03.2024; the informant suspected the petitioner, alleging a prior attempt on her life and that the petitioner had spoken of criminal threats enforcing an extortion demand. During investigation the petitioner was apprehended on 31.03.2024 and, in a statement recorded at 12.10 P.M., confessed his guilt, admitting he had contacted his driver Mukesh Mishra for the murder and had left his wife and children in the car near Mini Punjab Hotel on the pretext of going to meet the call of nature, whereupon co-accused shot her; he also confessed to WhatsApp calls/chatting with the accused. Co-accused Mukesh Mishra, Rohit Kumar Dubey, Pankaj Kumar and Vishal Prasad were apprehended on successive confessions; pistols recovered on the confession of Rohit Kumar Dubey and Vishal Prasad were confirmed by the FSL report to have been used in the murder; the mobile phone of Mukesh Mishra yielded a screenshot of WhatsApp chat between the petitioner and Vishal Prasad regarding the murder. Considering the nature of allegation, the court was not inclined to enlarge the petitioner on bail, and his prayer for bail stood rejected.

( 2025:JHHC:26568 )

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JHARKHAND AT RANCHI B.A. No. 1720 of 2025

Ravi Agarwal @ Ravi, aged about 42 years, son of Rajendra Kumar Agarwal, resident of Flat No. 9/4, 9^th Floor, Block-Boston, Astha Hi Tech City, P.O.- Sonari, P.S.- Sonari, Jamshedpur, District- East Singhbhum, Jharkhand … Petitioner

Jharkhand	… Petitioner - Versus -
The State of Jharkhand	… Opp. Party
	------
CORAM: - HON’BLE For the Petitioner	MR. JUSTICE AMBUJ NATH ----- : Mr. Indrajit Sinha, Advocate : Ms. Ashwini Priya, Advocate
For the State	: Mr. Shiv Shankar Kumar, A.P.P.
For the Informant	: Mr. Shyam Narsaria, Advocate ---

06/01.09.2025

Heard the parties.

The petitioner has been made accused in connection with S.T. Case No.165 of 2024, corresponding to G.R. Case No.237 of 2024 arising out of Chandil P.S. Case No. 75 of 2024, for the offences registered under Sections 302 and 120B of the I.P.C. and Section 27 of the Arms Act, pending in the court of learned Additional District Judge, Chandil.

On 29.03.2024, wife of the petitioner, namely Jyoti Agarwal was shot dead by unknown persons. The informant has raised suspicion upon the petitioner that earlier also, he had attempted to commit murder of his wife and as such, he must be involved in the murder of the deceased. The informant has also alleged that prior to the occurrence, the petitioner had told him that he was being threatened by criminals to enforce the demand of extortion The informant told him to report the matter to the police but the petitioner refused to do so. During the course of investigation, the petitioner was apprehended on 31.03.2024. His statement was recorded at 12.10 P.M., in which he confessed his guilt and has stated that he has contacted his driver Mukesh Mishra for committing murder of his wife. Mukesh Mishra introduced him to assassins Vishal Prasad, Pankaj Kumar and Rohit Kumar Dubey. He also confessed that on the date of occurrence, he took his wife and children to Mini Punjab Hotel, he parked his car nearby and on the pretext of going to meet the call of nature, left his wife and children in the car. At this instance, co-accused persons shot his wife due to

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which, she succumbed to her injuries. The petitioner has also confessed about talking and chatting to the accused persons on WhatsApp call and Instagram. On the basis of confession of this petitioner, co-accused Mukesh Mishra was apprehended and, on his confession, co-accused persons namely Rohit Kumar Dubey, Pankaj Kumar and Vishal Prasad were also apprehended. On confession of Rohit Kumar Dubey and Vishal Prasad, pistols used in commission of the murder of the deceased were recovered. Both these pistols were sent to Forensic Science Laboratory. Report of the same has been received and from perusal of which, it appears that both the weapons were used in committing murder of the deceased. Police during the course of investigation also seized the mobile phone of Mukesh Mishra, from perusal of WhatsApp chat of which, it transpired that there was screen shot of WhatsApp chat between petitioner Ravi Agarwal and accused Vishal Prasad with regard to the murder of the deceased.

Considering the nature of allegation, I am not inclined to enlarge the petitioner on bail. Accordingly, his prayer for bail stands rejected.

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