B.Ramabai Vs State of Odisha — Cheating and Forgery | Orissa HC (2025)

B.Ramabai Vs State of Odisha — Cheating and Forgery | Orissa HC (2025)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Conditional pre-arrest bail protection: Petitioners to surrender within three weeks and move for bail, whereupon they shall be released on bail by the learned Court in seisin on such terms as deemed just and proper, subject to verification of criminal antecedents of similar nature; the order shall not be given effect if such antecedents come to the fore; Petitioners to cooperate with the ongoing investigation.

Issue for consideration

Whether the Petitioners, the mother and wife of the principal accused, are entitled to pre-arrest bail in connection with G.R. Case No.20 of 2025 (arising out of Umerkote P.S. Case No.09 of 2025). +1 more

Court's answer

Taking into account the role ascribed to the Petitioners and that they are ladies, on surrendering within three weeks and moving for bail, the Petitioners shall be released on bail by the learned Court in seisin on such terms as deemed just and proper, subject to verification of criminal antecedent of similar nature.

Ratio / Principle

If it comes to the fore that the Petitioners have any such criminal antecedent, this order shall not be given effect to.

Key takeaways

The Petitioners shall cooperate with the ongoing investigation.ratio¶22

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Anticipatory bail (ABLAPL) - Petitioners are the mother and wife of the principal accused in Umerkote P.S. Case No.09 of 2025 (G.R. Case No.20 of 2025, Court of learned SDJM, Umerkote) for offences punishable under Sections 406/420/465/468/471/506 IPC read with Section 66(C) of the I.T. Act, 2000; the principal accused has already been released on bail by order dated 17.07.2025 of the learned Additional District & Sessions Judge, Umerkote in B.A. No.65 of 2025. Taking into account the role ascribed to the Petitioners and that they are ladies, the Court directed that on surrendering within three weeks and moving for bail, they be released on bail by the learned Court in seisin on such terms as deemed just and proper, subject to verification of criminal antecedent of similar nature; the order shall not be given effect if such antecedents come to the fore; Petitioners to cooperate with the ongoing investigation. ABLAPL stands disposed of.

IN THE HIGH COURT OF ORISSA AT CUTTACK ABLAPL No. 8683 of 2025

1. B. Ramabai

…. Petitioners

2. Smt. Puuthireddi Rajini @ P. Rajini

Mr. A. Mishra, Advocate

-versus-

State of Odisha

…. Opposite Party

Mr. S. Panigrahi, ASC

CORAM: JUSTICE V. NARASINGH ORDER

06.11.2025

Order No.

03.

Heard learned counsel for the Petitioners and learned counsel for the State.

The Petitioners are seeking pre-arrest bail in connection with G.R. Case No.20 of 2025 pending in the Court of learned SDJM, Umerkote arising out of Umerkote P.S. Case No.09 of 2025 for commission of offence punishable under Sections 406/ 420/ 465/ 468/ 471/ 506 of IPC read with Section 66(C) of the I.T. Act, 2000.

It is submitted by the learned counsel for the Petitioners that the present Petitioners are the mother and wife of the principal accused who has since been released on bail by order dated 17.07.2025 by the learned Additional District & Sessions Judge, Umerkote in B.A. No.65 of 2025

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and referring to the complicity of the Petitioners, it is submitted that the Petitioners have been cited as accused only because of their relationship with the principal accused as noted hereinabove. Hence, they may be protected by pre-arrest bail.

Learned counsel for the State opposes the prayer for pre-arrest bail and submits that this is an economic offence and there is money trail to the account of the present Petitioners.

Taking into account the role ascribed to the Petitioners and that they are ladies, it is directed that on surrendering within three weeks hence and moving for bail, the Petitioners shall be released on bail by the learned Court in seisin on such terms as deemed just and proper subject to verification of criminal antecedent of similar nature.

If it comes to the fore that the Petitioners have any such criminal antecedent, this order shall not be given effect to.

It is needless to state that the Petitioners shall cooperate with the ongoing investigation. 8. Accordingly, the ABLAPL stands disposed of. U.C.C. as per rules.

Signature Not Verified

(V. NARASINGH) Judge

Digitally Signed Signed by: AYESHA ROUT Reason: Authentication Location: High Court of Orissa, C utta ck Date: 08-Nov-2025 11:48:52 Ayesha

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