Priya ranjan Vs The State of Bihar — Cheating and Forgery | Patna HC (2026)

Priya ranjan Vs The State of Bihar — Cheating and Forgery | Patna HC (2026)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Conditional anticipatory bail: release on bail in the event of arrest or surrender before the Court below (learned Chief Judicial Magistrate, East Champaran, Motihari/concerned Court) within six weeks from the date of the order, on furnishing bail bonds of Rs.10,000/- with two sureties of the like amount each, subject to the conditions laid down in Section 482(2) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, in connection with Chhatauni P.S. Case No.357 of 2022.

Issue for consideration

Whether the petitioner, who apprehends arrest in connection with Chhatauni P.S. Case No.357 of 2022 instituted under Sections 406, 420 IPC, should be released on anticipatory bail.

Court's answer

Anticipatory bail granted: considering the facts and circumstances of the case, submissions of learned counsel, the nature of allegation, the petitioner's clean antecedent and the grant of bail to a similarly situated co-accused, the petitioner is to be released on bail in the event of arrest or surrender before the Court below within six weeks from the date of the order, on furnishing bail bonds of Rs.10,000/- with two sureties of the like amount each, to the satisfaction of the learned Chief Judicial Magistrate, East Champaran, Motihari/concerned Court, subject to the conditions laid down in Section 482(2) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Patna High Court (Sunil Dutta Mishra, J.) granted anticipatory bail to Priya Ranjan, arraigned in Chhatauni P.S. Case No.357 of 2022 under Sections 406, 420 IPC, District East Champaran, where the informant, owner of ANP Info. Solution Private Ltd. assigned to install smart meters, alleged that on 30.10.2021 the petitioner and other accused staff, acting in conspiracy, retained 422 new and 385 old meters and threatened him to pay Rs.10 lacs as ransom. Taking into account the petitioner's clean antecedent and the fact that similarly situated co-accused Chhotan Kumar Paswan had already been granted anticipatory bail (order dated 12.03.2026 in Cr. Misc. No.10951 of 2026), the Court directed that in the event of arrest or surrender before the Court below within six weeks the petitioner be released on bail upon furnishing bail bonds of Rs.10,000/- with two sureties of the like amount each to the satisfaction of the learned Chief Judicial Magistrate, East Champaran, Motihari/concerned Court, subject to the conditions laid down in Section 482(2) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.20454 of 2026

Arising Out of PS. Case No.-357 Year-2022 Thana- CHHATAUNI District- East Champaran

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

Priya ranjan S/O Ram Kishore Prasad @ Ram Kishor Prasad, Resident of village - Talimpur,P.S- Madhuban, Dist-East Champaran.

... ... Petitioner/s

Versus

The State of Bihar.

... ... Opposite Party/s ====================================================== Appearance : For the Petitioner/s : Mr. Abhishek Kumar, Advocate. For the Opposite Party/s : Ms. Madhuri Lata, A.P.P. ======================================================

CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE SUNIL DUTTA MISHRA ORAL ORDER

2 18-04-2026

Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and learned

A.P.P. for the State.

The petitioner apprehends his arrest in connection with Chhatauni P.S. Case No.357 of 2022 instituted under Sections 406, 420 of the Indian Penal Code.

As per the prosecution case, the informant who is owner of ANP Info. Solution Private Ltd. which was assigned by the Government to install smart meter has alleged that he started the work of installation of meter since 01.07.2020. On 30.10.2021 all the accused persons including the petitioner who are staff of informant in conspiracy with each other kept 422 new meters and 385 old meters and did not return it to the informant. On demand the accused persons threatened the informant to give them Rs.10 lacs as ransom. It is alleged that

Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.20454 of 2026(2) dt.18-04-2026 2/3

earlier there is allegation of assault against the accused persons due to which another Chhatauni P.S. Case No.403 of 2021 has been lodged.

Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that petitioner is innocent and has been falsely implicated in this case. He further submits that the petitioner is working in the company of informant and money dispute has arisen between the company and petitioner due to which informant has implicated the petitioner in the present case. Learned counsel submits that petitioner is not an accused in Chhatauni P.S. Case No.403 of 2021. He further submits that there is no material against the petitioner to implicate him in the present case and no incriminating article has been recovered from his conscious possession. Learned counsel submits that similarly situated coaccused, namely, Chhotan Kumar Paswan has already been granted anticipatory bail by the Co-ordinate Bench of this Court vide order dated 12.03.2026 passed in Cr. Misc. No.10951 of 2026. He further submits that petitioner has got clean antecedent and he undertakes to cooperate in the investigation and trial of the case.

Learned A.P.P. for the State opposes the prayer for anticipatory bail.

Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.20454 of 2026(2) dt.18-04-2026 3/3

Considering the facts and circumstances of the case, submissions of learned counsel for the parties, the nature of allegation leveled against the petitioner and his clean antecedent as well as the fact that similarly situated co-accused has already been granted bail, in the event of arrest or surrender before the Court below within six weeks from today, the petitioner be released on bail upon furnishing bail bonds of Rs.10,000/- (Rupees Ten Thousand) with two sureties of the like amount to each to the satisfaction of the learned Chief Judicial Magistrate, East Champaran, Motihari/ concerned Court in connection with Chhatauni P.S. Case No.357 of 2022, subject to the conditions laid down in Section 482(2) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.

(Sunil Dutta Mishra, J)

Ritik/-

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