Patna High Court
Ankit RajversusThe State of Bihar
- Decided
- Disposal
- BAIL GRANTED
- Bench
- KHATIM REZA
Holding
The court granted bail to the petitioner upon furnishing a bail bond of Rs.10,000 with two sureties of the same amount.
Summary
Ankit Raj was arrested in a police raid on 3 December 2025 and charged with trafficking minor girls under multiple statutes, including the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the POCSO Act, the Juvenile Justice Act and the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act. He applied for bail, contending that he was falsely implicated and that the arrest memo incorrectly recorded the time of his arrest. He also pointed out that other co‑accused had been granted bail by different benches of the same court. The State opposed the bail on the ground of the seriousness of the offences. After considering the submissions and the fact that the petitioner had no prior criminal record and a charge‑sheet had been filed, the court ordered his release on bail upon furnishing a bond of Rs.10,000 with two sureties of equal amount.
Issues considered
- Whether bail should be granted in a case involving offences under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, POCSO Act, Juvenile Justice Act and Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act.
- Whether the alleged discrepancy in the arrest memo and claim of false implication warrant bail.
- Whether the grant of bail to co‑accused in similar cases influences the decision on the petitioner's bail.
Legislation cited
- Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 — s. 111(4), 143(2), 145, 3(5), 74
- Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976 — s. 16, 17, 18
- Juvenile Justice Act — s. 75, 79
Subjects
- bail
- trafficking of minors
- POCSO
- juvenile justice
- bonded labour
- procedural irregularities
- arrest memo
- criminal procedure
Judgment
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.1995 of 2026
Arising Out of PS. Case No.-676 Year-2025 Thana- RAJGIR District- Nalanda
======================================================
Ankit Raj, S/o Atul Dev, R/o Village - Keshopur, P.S - Telhada, District -
Nalanda
... ... Petitioner/s
Versus
The State of Bihar
... ... Opposite Party/s
======================================================
Appearance :
For the Petitioner/s : Mr. Pramod Kumar Sinha, Adv.
For the Opposite Party/s : Mr. Bishweshwar Ram, APP
======================================================
CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE KHATIM REZA
ORAL ORDER
3 24-02-2026 Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and
learned A.P.P for the State.
2. The petitioner seeks bail in connection with
Rajgir P.S. Case No. 676 of 2025 dated 03.12.2025
registered for the offence punishable under Sections 143(2),
145, 74, 111(4) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita,
2023, Section 8 of the Prevention of Children from Sexual
Offences Act, Sections 75, 79 of Juvenile Justice Act and
Sections 16, 17 and 18 of the Bonded Labour System
(Abolition) Act, 1976.
3. As per the prosecution case, the petitioner was
apprehended with other co-accused persons with the
allegation of trafficking minor girls and supplying them to
Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.1995 of 2026(3) dt.24-02-2026
2/3
some orchestra company where the minor girls were being
exploited.
4. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that
the petitioner is innocent and has been falsely implicated in
this case. It is submitted that from perusal of F.I.R., it
appears that the police had conducted raid on 03.12.2025 at
5:30 hrs. and the petitioner is alleged to have been
apprehended by the police on the spot. The arrest memo
falsify the arrest of the petitioner on the spot. From perusal
of arrest memo, it appears that the time of arrest has been
mentioned at 10:05 AM on 03.12.2025. Learned counsel for
the petitioner submits that the petitioner was not arrested on
the spot. It is further submitted that similarly situated other
co-accused persons, namely, Satya Kure @ Soni, Laxmi
Kumari @ Laxmi Ratre and Jyoti Yadav have been granted
bail by different co-ordinate Benches of this Court vide
Criminal Miscellaneous Nos. 3383 of 2026, 4036 of 2026
and 1491 of 2026 respectively. The petitioner is in custody
since 04.12.2025, having no criminal antecedent and
charge-sheet has been submitted in the case.
5. Learned A.P.P for the State opposes the prayer
Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.1995 of 2026(3) dt.24-02-2026
3/3
for bail of the petitioner.
6. Having considered the facts and circumstances
of the case and submissions of learned counsel for the
parties, let the petitioner be released on bail upon furnishing
bail bonds of Rs. 10,000/- (ten thousand) with two sureties
of the like amount each to the satisfaction of the learned
Court of I/C Spl. Judge POCSO-II, Nalanda at Biharsharif
in connection with Rajgir P.S. Case No. 676 of 2025.
(Khatim Reza, J)
prabhat/-
U T
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