Durga Devi Durga Devi Nath Vs the State of Jharkhand — Anticipatory Bail | Jharkhand HC (2026)

Durga Devi Durga Devi Nath Vs the State of Jharkhand — Anticipatory Bail | Jharkhand HC (2026)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Anticipatory bail granted to all six petitioners: to surrender within three weeks and, on surrender/arrest, be released on bail on furnishing bail bonds of Rs. 25,000/- each with two sureties of the like amount each, to the satisfaction of the learned Judicial Magistrate, Ist Class, Jamshedpur, in connection with Birsanagar P.S. Case No.72 of 2025, subject to conditions under Section 482 (2) of B.N.S.S, 2023.

Issue for consideration

Whether anticipatory bail should be granted to the petitioners, who apprehend arrest in connection with Birsanagar P.S. Case No.72 of 2025 registered under sections of BNS, 2023 and pending before the Judicial Magistrate, Ist Class, Jamshedpur.

Court's answer

In the attending facts and circumstances of the case, the court is inclined to grant anticipatory bail to the petitioners in connection with Birsanagar P.S. Case No.72 of 2025.

Ratio / Principle

The petitioners are directed to surrender before the learned court within three weeks, and upon surrender/arrest shall be released on bail on furnishing bail bonds of Rs. 25,000/- each with two sureties of the like amount each, to the satisfaction of the learned Judicial Magistrate, Ist Class, Jamshedpur, subject to the conditions laid down under Section 482 (2) of B.N.S.S, 2023.

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Anticipatory Bail — Grant of. Six petitioners apprehending arrest in Birsanagar P.S. Case No.72 of 2025 (sections 191(2), 126(2), 115(2), 324(5), 333, 74, 329 (4), 308(3) of BNS, 2023), pending before the Judicial Magistrate, Ist Class, Jamshedpur, were held entitled to anticipatory bail. Counsel submitted that the petitioners had complained to the Circle Officer, East Singhbhum (application dated 20.08.2025) about illegal occupation of part of a temple, following which the FIR was lodged on 02.09.2025, with allegations including molestation, and a further case under the Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act was lodged the same day. The State opposed, citing the molestation allegation. Directing surrender within three weeks, the court ordered release on bail bonds of Rs. 25,000/- each with two sureties of the like amount, subject to Section 482 (2) of B.N.S.S, 2023. (Sanjay Kumar Dwivedi, J.)

 ( 2026:JHHC:1 )

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JHARKHAND AT RANCHI

A. B. A. No. 7474 of 2025

Durga Devi @ Druga Devi Nath, aged about 46 years, wife of Suresh Nath

Sushil Nath, aged about 69 years, son of Ramehwar Nath

Dharampal Singh, aged about 44 years, son of Dhan Singh

Devashish Das, aged about 28 years, son of Krishna Das

Indrajeet Singh @ Indarjeet Singh, aged about 37 years, son of Hardeep Singh

Lakhi Singh, aged about 36 years, wife of Dharampal Singh All are residents of Zone No. 6, Birsanagar, Near Kali Mandir, P.O. and P.S. Birsanagar, Jamshedpur, District-East Singhbhum (Jharkhand)

Petitioners

Versus

The State of Jharkhand .…. … Opposite Party

CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SANJAY KUMAR DWIVEDI For the Petitioners :Md. Ayub Ansari, Advocate For the State : Mr. Vijoy Kumar Sinha, A.P.P.

03/ 05.01.2026 : Heard learned counsel for the petitioners and learned

counsel for the State.

The petitioners are apprehending their arrest in connection with Birsanagar P.S. Case No.72 of 2025, registered under sections 191(2), 126(2), 115(2), 324(5), 333, 74, 329 (4), 308(3) of BNS, 2023, pending in the Court of learned Judicial Magistrate, Ist Class, Jamshedpur.

Learned counsel for the petitioners submits that petitioners have made complaint before the Circle Officer, East Singhbhum about the illegal occupation of the part of temple and in view of that false allegation has been made against the petitioners and even allegation of molestation is

also made. He further submits that on the same day another case of Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act has also been lodged against the petitioners. On these grounds, he submits that the petitioners may kindly be provided privilege of anticipatory bail.

Learned counsel for the State opposes the prayer and submits

that allegation of molestation is there.

 ( 2026:JHHC:1 )

Annexure-2 is document which is application dated 20.08.2025 addressed to the Circle Officer, East Singhbhum about the illegal occupation of the part of temple and the present F.I.R has been lodged on 02.09.2025 and on the same day another case of Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act has also been lodged against the petitioners.

In the attending facts and circumstances of the case, I am inclined to grant anticipatory bail to the petitioners. Accordingly, the above named, petitioners are directed to surrender before the learned court within three weeks from today and in the event of their surrender / arrest, the petitioners shall be released on bail, on furnishing bail bonds of Rs. 25,000/(twenty five thousand) each with two sureties of the like amount each, to the satisfaction of learned Judicial Magistrate, Ist Class, Jamshedpur, in connection with Birsanagar P.S. Case No.72 of 2025, subject to conditions as laid down under Section 482 (2) of B.N.S.S, 2023.

( Sanjay Kumar Dwivedi, J.)

Dt.05.01.2026 satyarthi-