Allowed¶23

Santu Kumar v. The State of Bihar

Patna HC20 Apr 2026CR. MISC./14216/2026

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

Patna High Court, CR. MISC. No.14216 of 2026, decided 20-04-2026 by Justice Praveen Kumar. Santu Kumar v. The State of Bihar — regular bail granted in Belchhi P.S. Case No. 157 of 2025 (Sections 103(2) and 3(4) B.N.S.; alleged dowry-related murder by drowning of the wife on 31.08.2025); chargesheet under Section 108 B.N.S.; no eyewitness; custody since 14.10.2025; no criminal antecedent; bail-bond of Rs.10,000/- with two like sureties to the satisfaction of the Court concerned, Barh, Patna; application allowed.

What did the court decide?

Regular bail: petitioner to be enlarged on furnishing bail-bond of Rs.10,000/- with two sureties of the like amount each, to the satisfaction of the learned Court concerned, Barh, Patna, in connection with Belchhi P.S. Case No. 157 of 2025. ¶23

Santu Kumar Vs The State of Bihar — Murder and Culpable Homicide | Patna HC (2026)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

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Issue for consideration

Whether the petitioner, arraigned in Belchhi P.S. Case No. 157 of 2025 (offences punishable under Sections 103(2) and 3(4) of B.N.S.), is entitled to regular bail.

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Court's answer

On perusal of the record and consideration of the submissions of the parties and the facts and circumstances of the case, the petitioner is directed to be enlarged on bail on furnishing a bail-bond of Rs.10,000/- with two sureties of the like amount each to the satisfaction of the learned Court concerned, Barh, Patna, in connection with Belchhi P.S. Case No. 157 of 2025.

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Ratio / Principle

The bail application stands allowed.

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Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Criminal Miscellaneous — Regular bail granted. Petitioner (husband of the deceased) sought bail in Belchhi P.S. Case No. 157 of 2025 dated 02.09.2025, registered for offences punishable under Sections 103(2) and 3(4) of B.N.S., on the informant's allegation that his daughter, married to the petitioner in 2014, was tortured for dowry (Rs. 2 lakhs allegedly parted with to the in-laws) and was found drowned in a pond on 31.08.2025, her death being believed by the informant to be a dowry murder at the hands of the petitioner and in-laws. Per counsel: no eyewitness to the alleged murder; chargesheet filed under Section 108 B.N.S. after thorough investigation; FIR not registered under Section 498(A) IPC; a U.D. case registered at the petitioner's behest still under investigation; petitioner in custody since 14.10.2025 with no criminal antecedent; child out of wedlock not properly cared for due to incarceration. The Court, perusing the record and considering the parties' submissions, directed enlargement on bail on furnishing a bail-bond of Rs.10,000/- with two sureties of the like amount each to the satisfaction of the learned Court concerned, Barh, Patna. Application allowed.

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IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.14216 of 2026

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Arising Out of PS. Case No.-157 Year-2025 Thana- BELCHHI District- Patna

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

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SANTU KUMAR S/o Ram Janam Prasad @ Ramjanm Prasad Resident of Village- Jakki, Police Station- Bind, District- Nalanda

... ... Petitioner/s

Versus

The State of Bihar

... ... Opposite Party/s ====================================================== Appearance : For the Petitioner/s : Mr. Nilendu Kumar Choudhary, Advocate For the Opposite Party/s : Mr. Anish Chandra, APP ======================================================

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CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE PRAVEEN KUMAR ORAL ORDER

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3 20-04-2026

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Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and learned

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APP for the State.

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2. The petitioner has preferred this application for grant of regular bail in connection with Belchhi P.S. Case No. 157 of 2025 dated 02.09.2025 registered for the offences punishable under Sections 103(2) and 3(4) of B.N.S.

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3. As per the allegation, the daughter of the informant was married with the petitioner in the year 2014 and after marriage, the petitioner who happens to be the husband as well as in-laws of his daughter used to torture the daughter of the informant in relation to demand of dowry. It has been alleged that the informant parted with Rs. 2 lakhs to the in-laws of his daughter. It has been further alleged that on 31.08.2025, the informant got information that his daughter, namely, Sujata

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Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.14216 of 2026(3) dt.20-04-2026 2/3

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Kumari had been drown in a pond. The informant expressed firm belief that the petitioner along with in-laws have murdered his daughter in relation to demand of dowry.

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4. Learned counsel for the petitioner has submitted that although the petitioner is the husband of the deceased, but there is no iota of evidence against him. He has further submitted that although there is allegation of demand of dowry and alleged torture for non-fulfillment of the same but the FIR has not been registered under Section 498(A) of the IPC. The marriage was solemnized in the year 2014 and there is no allegation that ever demand of dowry was made. Learned counsel for the petitioner has also submitted that in fact U.D. case was registered at the behest of the petitioner which is still under investigation. The informant with oblique motive has lodged the present case after a delay of two days when he was aware of the fact that deceased was accidentally drown. Moreover, he took part in the cremation and its rituals. It has further been submitted that after thorough investigation chargesheet has been filed under Section 108 B.N.S. There is no eyewitness to the alleged occurrence of murder. The petitioner is in custody since 14.10.2025 having no criminal antecedent and a child out of wedlock is not being properly cared due to long

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Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.14216 of 2026(3) dt.20-04-2026 3/3

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incarceration of the petitioner.

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5. Learned A.P.P. for the State has vehemently

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opposed the prayer for bail of the petitioner.

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6. Perused the record and considered the submissions of the parties as well as the facts and circumstances of the case, the petitioner above-named is directed to be enlarged on bail on furnishing bail-bond of Rs.10,000/- (Rupees Ten Thousand) with two sureties of the like amount each to the satisfaction of learned Court concerned, Barh, Patna in connection with Belchhi P.S. Case No. 157 of 2025.

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7. The application stands allowed.

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(Praveen Kumar, J)

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shivam/-

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U T

Santu Kumar v. The State of Bihar

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

Santu Kumar v. The State of Bihar

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

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What the court decided

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