Ratan Devnath Vs The State of Bihar — Patna HC (2025) — LawSathi Research

Ratan Devnath Vs The State of Bihar — Patna HC (2025) — LawSathi Research

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Release of all three petitioners on bail on furnishing bail-bonds of Rs. 10,000/- (Rupees Ten Thousand) each with two sureties of the like amount each, to the satisfaction of the learned Chief Judicial Magistrate, East Champaran, Motihari, in connection with Muffasil P.S. Case No. 28 of 2023.

Issue for consideration

Whether the petitioners should be released on bail in connection with Muffasil P.S. Case No. 28 of 2023, registered for offences punishable under Sections 341, 323, 307, 504 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code.

Court's answer

Considering the submissions of counsel and taking into account the two earlier coordinate-Bench bail orders (Sanjit Kumar Deonath, Cr. Misc. No.74255/2023, order dt. 29.11.2023; Sindhu Deonath, Cr. Misc. No.39433/2023, order dt. 18.09.2023), the Court directed the petitioners' release on bail on furnishing bail-bonds of Rs. 10,000/- each with two sureties of the like amount each, to the satisfaction of the learned Chief Judicial Magistrate, East Champaran, Motihari, in connection with Muffasil P.S. Case No. 28 of 2023.

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Bail granted — Patna High Court, Criminal Miscellaneous No.26257 of 2025 (Oral Order dt. 19-09-2025, Satyavrat Verma, J.). Three petitioners — Ratan Devnath, Lalita Devi @ Lalita Devnath and Rina Devi @ Rina Devnath — sought bail in Muffasil P.S. Case No. 28 of 2023 (Thana Muffasil Motihari, District East Champaran) for offences punishable under Sections 341, 323, 307, 504 and 34 IPC. Counsel pleaded clean antecedents, that petitioner Nos. 2 and 3 are women in custody since 04.01.2025, that the informant was not an eyewitness and the allegation hinged on suspicion (deceased allegedly set himself on fire and died during treatment after his wish to marry the daughter of co-accused Sindhu Deonath was refused), and parity with co-accused Sanjit Kumar Deonath (regular bail via Cr. Misc. No.74255/2023, order dt. 29.11.2023 by a coordinate Bench) and Sindhu Deonath (regular bail via Cr. Misc. No.39433/2023, order dt. 18.09.2023 by a coordinate Bench). The learned A.P.P. opposed. Taking the submissions and the two prior orders into consideration, the Court directed release on bail on bonds of Rs. 10,000/- each with two sureties of like amount to the satisfaction of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, East Champaran, Motihari.

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.26257 of 2025

Arising Out of PS. Case No.-28 Year-2023 Thana- MOTIHARI MUFASIL District- East Champaran

======================================================

Ratan Devnath S/o Tunna Devnath R/O- Vill- Rulahi Ward No 4, P.SMuffasil Motihari, Distt- East Champaran

Lalita Devi @ Lalita Devnath W/o Ratan Devnath R/O- Vill- Rulahi Ward No 4, P.S- Muffasil Motihari, Distt- East Champaran

Rina Devi @ Rina Devnath W/o Sindhu Devnath R/O- Vill- Rulahi Ward No 4, P.S- Muffasil Motihari, Distt- East Champaran

... ... Petitioner/s

Versus

The State of Bihar

... ... Opposite Party/s

====================================================== Appearance : For the Petitioner/s : Mr. Rajesh Ranjan For the Opposite Party/s : Mr. Anil Kumar Singh No. 1 ======================================================

CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE SATYAVRAT VERMA ORAL ORDER

3 19-09-2025

Heard learned counsel for the petitioners and

learned APP for the State.

Petitioners seek bail in a case registered for the offences punishable under Sections 341, 323, 307, 504 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code.

Learned counsel for the petitioners submits that petitioners are persons with clean antecedent and petitioner No.2 and 3 are women and are in custody since 04.01.2025. It is next submitted that as per prosecution case, the petitioners and other co-accused persons are alleged to have set the nephew of the informant on fire, who died during the course of treatment.

Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.26257 of 2025(3) dt.19-09-2025 2/3

It is further submitted that informant is not an eyewitness to the occurrence and the entire allegation hinges around suspicion, in fact the deceased wanted to marry with the daughter of coaccused Sindhu Deonath and when he refused, in frustration, the deceased committed suicide by setting himself on fire. The learned counsel next submits that similarly situated co-accused Sanjit Kumar Deonath had approached this Court seeking regular bail by filing Cr. Misc. No.74255/2023 and the same was allowed by an order dated 29.11.2023 passed by a learned coordinate Bench, further Sindhu Deonath had also approached this Court seeking regular bail by filing Cr. Misc. No.39433/2023 and the same was also allowed by an order dated 18.09.2023 passed by a learned coordinate Bench.

Learned A.P.P. opposes the bail application of the petitioners.

Consideration the submissions made by the learned counsel for the petitioners and also taking into consideration the aforesaid two orders, the petitioners, above-named, are directed to be released on bail on furnishing bail-bonds of Rs. 10,000/(Rupees Ten Thousand) each with two sureties of the like amount each to the satisfaction of the learned Chief Judicial Magistrate, East Champaran, Motihari, in connection with

Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.26257 of 2025(3) dt.19-09-2025 3/3

Muffasil P.S. Case No. 28 of 2023.

(Satyavrat Verma, J)

amit/-

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