Narottam Palei Vs State of Odisha — Orissa HC (2026) — LawSathi Research

Narottam Palei Vs State of Odisha — Orissa HC (2026) — LawSathi Research

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Pre-arrest bail refused (application not entertained); procedural directions issued — surrender before the learned S.D.J.M., Nilgiri within one month, hearing of the subsequent bail motion in the first hour by the S.D.J.M. and, if rejected, in the second hour of the same day by the higher forum, with case diary made available and expeditious transmission of the case record; parity grounds, criminal antecedents and the petitioner's wife's ill-health to be taken into account by the courts below.

Issue for consideration

Whether pre-arrest (anticipatory) bail should be granted to the petitioner in connection with C.T. Case No. 64/2026 (arising out of Nilgiri PS Case No. 51 of 2026) for offences punishable under Sections 336(2)/337/338/339/340(2), BNS, 2023.

Court's answer

This Court, taking into account the nature of the allegation and its ramifications, was not inclined to entertain the application for pre-arrest bail.

Ratio / Principle

The Petitioner was directed to surrender before the learned S.D.J.M., Nilgiri in connection with the said case within one month from the date of the order.

Key takeaways

Upon surrender and motion for bail, the learned S.D.J.M., Nilgiri was to consider the bail application on merits in the first hour of the day.ratio¶20
If the S.D.J.M. rejected the bail prayer, the Petitioner was at liberty to move the higher forum in the second hour on the same day; the higher forum was requested to endeavour to dispose of the bail application the same day, the case diary was to be made available, and the S.D.J.M. was called upon to transmit the case record to the higher forum expeditiously in the event of rejection.ratio¶21

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Pre-arrest bail refused — High Court of Orissa at Cuttack, ABLAPL No. 2878 of 2026, order dated 05.05.2026, Justice V. Narasingh (sole author) — Narottam Palei v. State of Odisha. The petitioner was alleged to have forged official records and transmitted them through official E-mail to the office of the Sub-Registrar relating to grant of permission for transfer of land in terms of Section 22 of the OLR Act; offences charged were punishable under Sections 336(2)/337/338/339/340(2) of BNS, 2023, in C.T. Case No. 64/2026 before the learned S.D.J.M., Nilgiri, arising out of Nilgiri PS Case No. 51 of 2026. Petitioner's counsel argued that the cases concerned had been disposed of in Lok Adalat and that forgery of a digital signature was highly improbable; State counsel countered that the Lok Adalat was on 13.12.2025 while the allegations also related to 22.12.2025, 26.12.2025, 15.01.2026 and 19.01.2026. Considering the nature of the allegation and its ramifications, the Court declined pre-arrest bail but directed surrender within one month, merit-based consideration of the bail motion by the S.D.J.M. in the first hour and, upon rejection, recourse to the higher forum in the second hour of the same day for same-day disposal, with the case diary made available; parity grounds, verification of criminal antecedents, and the petitioner's stand on his wife's ill-health were left to the courts below.

IN THE HIGH COURT OF ORISSA AT CUTTACK ABLAPL No. 2878 of 2026

Narottam Palei

Petitioner

Mr. D. Sethy, Advocate

-versus-

State of Odisha

…. Opposite Party

Mr. A. K. Pati, ASC

CORAM: JUSTICE V. NARASINGH ORDER

05.05.2026

Order No.

02.

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

The Petitioner is seeking pre-arrest bail in connection with C.T. Case No. 64/2026 pending on the file of learned S.D.J.M., Nilgiri, arising out of Nilgiri PS Case No. 51 of 2026, for commission of offences punishable under Sections 336(2)/ 337/ 338/ 339 /340(2) of BNS, 2023.

The allegation against the present Petitioner is of forging official records and transmitting it through official E-mail to the office of the sub-Registrar relating to grant of permission for transfer of land in terms of Section 22 of OLR Act.

It is submitted by the learned counsel that all the cases in respect of which the allegations are made was disposed of in Lok Adalat, the question of digital signature is highly improbable.

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Learned counsel for the State opposes the prayer for pre-arrest bail and submits that the Lok Adalat was on 13.12.2025 and the allegations in the case at hand also relates to the dates i.e. 22.12.2025, 26.12.2025, 15.01.2026 and 19.01.2026 as well.

Taking into account the nature of allegation and the ramifications thereof, this Court is not inclined to entertain the application for pre-arrest bail. However, it is directed that the Petitioner may surrender before the learned S.D.J.M., Nilgiri in connection with the aforementioned case within one month from today.

In the event of his surrender and motion for bail, the same be considered by the learned S.D.J.M., Nilgiri on merits, in the first hour of the day.

In the event of rejection of the prayer for bail by the learned S.D.J.M., Nilgiri, the Petitioner is at liberty to move the higher forum for bail in the second hour on the same day.

On being so moved, the higher forum is requested to make an endeavor to dispose of the bail application of the Petitioner on the same day.

The case diary shall be made available to the concerned courts to facilitate disposal of the bail application of the Petitioner and learned S.D.J.M., Nilgiri is called upon to transmit the case record to the higher forum in the second hour expeditiously in the event of rejection of the bail application by him.

Ground of parity, if any, may be considered by the learned court(s) below. The forums below are

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requested to verify the criminal antecedents of the Petitioner.

It shall be open for the Petitioner to put forth his stand on account of the ill-health of his wife, which shall also be considered in its proper perspective.

Accordingly, the ABLAPL stands disposed of. 10. U.C.C. as per rules.

(V. NARASINGH) Judge

Jina

Signature Not Verified

Digitally Signed Signed by: JINA DIGAL Reason: Authentication Location: High Court of Orissa Date: 07-May-2026 14:15:43

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