Shanti Mandal Alias Shanti Ram Vs State of… — Murder and Culpable Homicide | Jharkhand HC (2026)

Shanti Mandal Alias Shanti Ram Vs State of… — Murder and Culpable Homicide | Jharkhand HC (2026)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Dismissed

Issue for consideration

Whether regular bail should be granted to petitioner Shanti Mandal @ Shanti Ram in connection with Garhwa Police Station Case No.596 of 2024 (G.R. No.188 of 2025), corresponding to Sessions Trial No.69 of 2025, registered for offences under Sections 103(1), 238, 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

Court's answer

Regular bail denied: weighing the nature of allegation, the materials collected and transpired in course of investigation, and the fact that the trial is already in progress, the court was not inclined to grant the privilege of bail to the petitioner.

Ratio / Principle

The prayer for bail of the petitioner in the pending Sessions Trial No.69 of 2025 before the District & Sessions Judge II, Garhwa, is hereby rejected.

Key takeaways

Ancillary operative direction: the Trial Court is directed to expedite the trial and conclude it at the earliest without giving unnecessary adjournments.ratio¶14

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Bail application (B.A. No. 10822 of 2025) of Shanti Mandal @ Shanti Ram, father-in-law of the deceased, in Garhwa Police Station Case No.596 of 2024 (G.R. No.188 of 2025), Sessions Trial No.69 of 2025, for offences under Sections 103(1), 238, 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, pending before the District & Sessions Judge II, Garhwa, rejected by the High Court of Jharkhand at Ranchi (Ananda Sen, J.) on 17.02.2026. Though not named in the First Information Report, investigation allegedly showed the petitioner gave money to the main accused (Guru Chand Mandal, husband of the deceased) to commit the murder; the main accused's confessional statement disclosed the petitioner's involvement and instigation, on which his companion Bira strangulated the deceased with a gamcha while the main accused assaulted her head with a stone; witnesses reported the deceased being forcibly taken away in a black Honda Amaze and frequent scuffles between the deceased and the petitioner; the inquest report showed her hands tied behind her back. Considering the nature of allegation, the investigation materials, and that the trial was already in progress, regular bail was refused, the application dismissed, and the Trial Court directed to expedite the trial without unnecessary adjournments.

2026:JHHC:4697

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JHARKHAND AT RANCHI B.A. No. 10822 of 2025

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Shanti Mandal @ Shanti Ram son of Late Satish Mandal, resident of Village Santoshi Nagar Bardar, PO PS Balrampur, District Balrampur, State Chhatisgarh.

… … Petitioner Versus The State of Jharkhand … … Opposite Party

---CORAM : SRI ANANDA SEN, J.

---- For the Petitioner: Mr. Sabyasanchi, Advocate For the State: Mr. Shree Prakash Jha, A.P.P.

---- 03/17.02.2026 By way of this bail application, the petitioner prays for grant of regular bail in connection with Garhwa Police Station Case No.596 of 2024 (G.R. No.188 of 2025) corresponding to Sessions Trial No.69 of 2025, registered for offences under Sections 103(1), 238, 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, pending in the Court of the District & Sessions Judge II, Garhwa.

2. As per the prosecution case, on information, dead body of the deceased was recovered lying near Pole No.11 in Koyal River. U.D. Case No.45 of 2024 was registered and in course of investigation, it transpired that the deceased had eloped from her house and later it transpired that it is Guru Chand Mandal, husband of the deceased, who had committed murder of the deceased and had thrown her dead body in Koyal River.

4. Petitioner is the father-in-law of the deceased. Though he is not named in the First Information Report, in course of investigation, it has come that it is this petitioner, who had given money to the main accused to commit murder of the deceased. The main accused in his confessional statement has stated about the involvement and role of this petitioner. It was reported that the deceased had eloped from her house. In course of investigation it has come that witnesses have seen the main accused forcibly taking the deceased from her house on a black colour Honda Amaze car. Witnesses have also stated that the deceased and this petitioner always used to scuffle. The main accused in his confessional statement has stated that on his instigation, his companion Bira strangulated the neck of the deceased with a gamcha (towel) and the main accused had assaulted on the head of the deceased with stone. It has also come in inquest report that the hands of the deceased were tied in the back.

5. Considering the nature of allegation and the materials collected

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2026:JHHC:4697

and transpired in course of investigation as also keeping in view that the trial is already in progress, I am not inclined to grant privilege of bail to the petitioner. The prayer for bail of the petitioner in connection with Garhwa Police Station Case No.596 of 2024 (G.R. No.188 of 2025) corresponding to Sessions Trial No.69 of 2025, pending in the Court of the District & Sessions Judge II, Garhwa, is hereby rejected. The Trial Court is directed to expedite the trial of the case and conclude the same at the earliest without giving unnecessary adjournments.

6. This bail application is, accordingly, dismissed.

(Ananda Sen, J.)

Ranchi Dated 17^th February, 2026 Kumar/Cp-03

Uploaded on 19.02.2026

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