Allowed

Ajay Mahto @ Ajay Kumar Mahto v. the State of Jharkhand

Jharkhand HC15 Sept 2026B.A./8430/2026

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

Petitioner in custody for POCSO and IPC offences sought bail. Court observed petitioner has no antecedents, charge-sheet submitted, and a similarly situated co-accused was granted bail. Petitioner granted bail on Rs. 25,000/-.

What did the court decide?

Enlargement on bail on furnishing bond of Rs. 25,000 with two sureties subject to conditions including no disturbance to informant and attendance in court.

Ajay Mahto @ Ajay Kumar Mahto Vs the State of Jharkhand — Bail and Remand | Jharkhand HC (2026)

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2026:JHHC:27707

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IN THE HIGH COURT OF JHARKHAND AT RANCHI

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B.A. No. 8430 of 2026

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Ajay Mahto @ Ajay Kumar Mahto, S/o Kiti Mahto, Aged about 30 years, R/o Village Chano, P.O. & P.S. Bishnugarh, District Hazaribagh.

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… … Petitioner

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Versus

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The State of Jharkhand … … Opp. Party

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CORAM: HON’BLE MRS. JUSTICE ANUBHA RAWAT CHOUDHARY

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--For the Petitioner : Mr. Pradeep Kumar, Advocate For the Opp. Party : Mr. Shailendra Kumar Tiwari, Advocate ---

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02/15^th September 2026

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1. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the petitioner is in custody in connection with Giridih Cyber P.S. Case No. 16/2022 for the offence registered under Sections 354(A)/354(C)/509/506/109/34 of IPC and Sections 66(E)/67/67(B) of IT Act and Section 12 of POCSO Act, now said to have been pending in the court of learned Special Judge POCSO Act, Giridh.

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2. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the petitioner is in custody since 26.05.2026 having no criminal antecedent and charge-sheet has already been submitted. The allegation against the petitioner is that he made certain video of the victim viral, who is minor. Similarly situated co-accused, namely, Abhishek Patel has been granted bail by Co-ordinate Bench of this Court in B.A. No. 1218/2023 vide order dated 20.04.2023 and therefore the petitioner may also be enlarged on bail.

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3. Learned counsel for the State has opposed the prayer for bail. The learned counsel submits that the exact role of the petitioner would come up only when the case-diary is called for.

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4. During the course of hearing, it is not in dispute that even the learned court has found that the case of the petitioner is similarly situated as that of the co-accused, namely, Abhishek Patel.

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2026:JHHC:27707

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5. After hearing the learned counsel for the parties and considering the fact that the charge-sheet has already been submitted, the petitioner has no criminal antecedent and that the similarly situated co-accused, namely, Abhishek Patel has been granted bail by co-ordinate Bench of this Court, the petitioner is directed to be enlarged on bail on furnishing bail bond of Rs. 25,000/- (Rs. Twenty-Five Thousand) with two sureties of the like amount each to the satisfaction of the learned Special Judge POCSO Act, Giridh in connection with Giridih Cyber P.S. Case No. 16/2022, subject to the following conditions: -

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(i) The petitioner shall not disturb the informant party in any manner whatsoever. In the event of any such occurrence of disturbance, it shall be open to the informant party to move an application for cancellation of bail of the petitioner before the concerned court.

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(ii) One of the bailors would be the present pairvikar of the petitioner.

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(iii) The other bailor should be his close relative.

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(iv) The petitioner will attend the court on each and every date and on account of his single default, the learned court shall cancel the bail bond furnished by the petitioner.

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(v) The petitioner would deposit a self-attested copy of his Aadhar Card along with his Mobile Number before the learned court below, which he shall not change during the pendency of the case without prior permission of the court.

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(vi) The petitioner shall fully co-operate with the proceedings before the learned court below.

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6. The learned court shall call for the criminal antecedent report of the petitioner before enlarging him on bail and if any criminal antecedent is found, the petitioner shall not be enlarged on bail.

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7. The instant bail application is allowed with the aforesaid conditions.

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2026:JHHC:27707

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8. Let a copy of this order along with a copy of the affidavit filed with the bail petition be communicated to the court concerned through ‘email/FAX’.

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(Anubha Rawat Choudhary, J.)

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Dated: 15.09.2026 Uploaded On: 17.09.2026 Mukul/-

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Ajay Mahto @ Ajay Kumar Mahto v. the State of Jharkhand

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Ajay Mahto @ Ajay Kumar Mahto v. the State of Jharkhand

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