Ramesh Munda Vs the State of Jharkhand — Jharkhand HC (2025) — LawSathi Research

Ramesh Munda Vs the State of Jharkhand — Jharkhand HC (2025) — LawSathi Research

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Release of the appellant on bail on furnishing bail bond of Rs.10,000/- with two sureties of the like amount each, to the satisfaction of learned Additional Sessions Judge-III, Chatra in connection with Sadar P.S. Case No.74 of 2024.

Issue for consideration

Whether the appellant, whose prayer for bail was rejected by the order dated 04.07.2025 passed in M.C.A. No. 1223 of 2025 by the learned Additional Sessions Judge-III, Chatra, is entitled to be released on bail. +1 more

Court's answer

The order dated 04.07.2025 passed in M.C.A. No. 1223 of 2025 in connection with Sadar P.S. Case No. 74 of 2024 by the learned Additional Sessions Judge-III, Chatra, rejecting the appellant's bail prayer, is set aside.

Ratio / Principle

The appellant is directed to be released on bail on furnishing a bail bond of Rs.10,000/- (Ten thousand) with two sureties of the like amount each, to the satisfaction of the learned Additional Sessions Judge-III, Chatra in connection with Sadar P.S. Case No.74 of 2024.

Key takeaways

Bail was granted having regard to the manner of implication of the appellant and to the fact that some of the co-accused persons had been granted bail by a Coordinate Bench of this Court.ratio¶15

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Criminal appeal — bail. The appellant, Ramesh Munda, is accused in Sadar P.S. Case No. 74 of 2024, stated to arise from an encounter between extremists and police personnel in which two police personnel died and one suffered injury. His bail prayer was rejected by order dated 04.07.2025 of the learned Additional Sessions Judge-III, Chatra in M.C.A. No. 1223 of 2025; his earlier bail move in Cr. Appeal (DB) No.695 of 2024 had been dismissed as not pressed on 10.02.2025 as charge was then unframed, and charge has since been framed. Counsel contended the appellant is not named in the FIR and was implicated on suspicion, is in custody since 26.02.2024, and that some co-accused were granted bail by a Coordinate Bench in Cr. Appeal (DB) Nos.1054 and 1464 of 2024. Having regard to the manner of implication and the co-accused parity, the Division Bench set aside the rejection and directed release on bail on a bond of Rs.10,000/- with two sureties of the like amount each.

2025:JHHC:27264-DB

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JHARKHAND AT RANCHI Cr. Appeal (DB) No. 1001 of 2025

Ramesh Munda ----- Appellant

Versus

The State of Jharkhand ----- Respondent

--CORAM: Hon’ble Mr. Justice Rongon Mukhopadhyay Hon’ble Mr. Justice Pradeep Kumar Srivastava

--For the appellant : Mr. P.K. Sahay, Adv. For the State : Mr. Anup Pawan Topno, A.P.P ---

02/09.09.2025 Earlier the appellant had moved for grant of bail in Cr. Appeal (DB) No.695 of 2024 which however was dismissed as not pressed vide order dated 10.02.2025 on the submission made by learned counsel for the appellant that since the charge has not been framed, therefore he is not pressing the said appeal. Subsequently according to the learned counsel for the appellant, charge has been framed.

Heard Mr. P.K. Sahay, learned counsel for the appellant and learned A.P.P.

This appeal is directed against the order dated 04.07.2025 passed in M.C.A. No. 1223 of 2025 in connection with Sadar P.S. Case No. 74 of 2024 by the learned Additional Sessions Judge-III, Chatra, whereby and whereunder the prayer for bail of the appellant has been rejected.

It has been alleged that there was an encounter between the extremists and Police personnel as a result of which two Police personnel had died and one had suffered injury.

Submission has been advanced by the learned counsel for the appellant that the appellant is not named in the First Information Report but has subsequently been implicated only on the basis of suspicion. It has further been submitted that though the appellant has got criminal antecedents but in some of the cases either he has been acquitted or has been granted bail. Learned counsel adds that the appellant is in custody since 26.02.2024 and some of the co-accused have been granted bail by a Coordinate Bench of this Court in Cr. Appeal (DB) No.1054 of 2024 and Cr. Appeal (DB) No.1464 of 2024.

Learned A.P.P. has opposed the prayer for bail of the appellant.

2

Regard being had to the manner of implication of the appellant and the fact that some of the co-accused persons have been granted bail by a Coordinate Bench of this Court, as noted above, we while setting aside the order dated 04.07.2025 passed in M.C.A. No. 1223 of 2025 in connection with Sadar P.S. Case No. 74 of 2024 by the learned Additional Sessions Judge-III, Chatra, direct the appellant to be released on bail on furnishing bail bond of Rs.10,000/- (Ten thousand) with two sureties of the like amount each, to the satisfaction of learned Additional Sessions Judge-III, Chatra in connection with Sadar P.S. Case No.74 of 2024.

This appeal stands allowed and disposed of.

( Rongon Mukhopadhyay, J.)

(Pradeep Kumar Srivastava, J.)

Shamim/