Patna High Court
Ranjan KumarversusThe State of Bihar
- Decided
- Disposal
- BAIL GRANTED
- Bench
- SONI SHRIVASTAVA
Holding
The Court granted anticipatory bail to the petitioner subject to a bond, sureties and conditions under Section 438(2) Cr.P.C. and Section 482(2) B.N.S.S.
Summary
The petitioner, Ranjan Kumar, was implicated in a 2019 FIR alleging fraud to obtain a job, charged under IPC sections 419, 420, 467, 468 and 471. He only became aware of the FIR in August 2025 and applied for anticipatory bail, asserting no prior criminal record and willingness to cooperate with the investigation. The petitioner argued that the thumb‑impression evidence could be a technical glitch and pointed out that a co‑accused in the same case had already been granted bail by a coordinate bench. The State opposed the grant of anticipatory bail. Considering the lack of antecedents, the similarity to the co‑accused’s relief, and the circumstances, the Court ordered that the petitioner be released on anticipatory bail upon furnishing a bond of Rs.25,000 with two sureties, subject to conditions under Section 438(2) of the Cr.P.C. and Section 482(2) of the B.N.S.S.
Issues considered
- Whether anticipatory bail should be granted to the petitioner under Section 438 of the Criminal Procedure Code in view of the allegations under IPC sections 419, 420, 467, 468 and 471.
- Whether the technical glitch in thumb‑impression evidence and the absence of prior criminal record justify bail.
Legislation cited
- B.N.S.S. — s. 482(2)
- Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 — s. 438(2)
- Indian Penal Code — s. 419, 420, 467, 468, 471
Subjects
- anticipatory bail
- fraud
- IPC sections 419, 420, 467, 468, 471
- thumb impression
- technical glitch
- bail bond
- Criminal Procedure Code
Judgment
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.25137 of 2026
Arising Out of PS. Case No.-28 Year-2019 Thana- AIRPORT District- Patna
======================================================
Ranjan Kumar S/O Shivnarayan Prasad R/O Vill.-- Navin Nagar, Nawada,
P.S. - Nawada, Dist-Nawada
... ... Petitioner/s
Versus
The State of Bihar ... ... Opposite Party/s
======================================================
Appearance :
For the Petitioner/s : Mr.Deepak Kumar
For the Opposite Party/s : Mr.Ram Anurag Singh
======================================================
CORAM: HONOURABLE JUSTICE SMT. SONI SHRIVASTAVA
ORAL ORDER
2 30-04-2026 Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and learned
APP for the State.
2. The petitioner apprehends his arrest in a case
registered under Sections 419, 420, 467, 468, 471 of the Indian
Penal Code.
3. Allegation against the petitioner is that he with the
help of other accomplices, hatched a conspiracy and tried to get a
job by committing fraud.
4. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that
although the FIR is of the year 2019, he had no knowledge about
his name having featured in the said FIR and he came to know
only after notice was issued on 29.08.2025, whereafter he
approached the Court for anticipatory bail. It has also been
submitted that the petitioner does not have any criminal antecedent
and he undertakes to cooperate with the investigation, if not
concluded and has also submitted that the non-matching of the
Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.25137 of 2026(2) dt.30-04-2026
2/2
thumb impression may also be result of technical glitch. It is
further submitted that the similarly situated co-accused has already
been granted bail by a coordinate Bench of this Court vide order
dated 26.02.2026 passed in Cr. Misc. No. 12931 of 2026.
5. However, learned APP for the State opposes the grant
of anticipatory bail.
6. Taking into consideration the facts and circumstances
and also considering that the petitioner has no criminal antecedent
and similarly situated co-accused has already been granted bail, let
the above named petitioner, be released on bail, in the event of his
arrest or surrender before the learned Court below within a period
of four weeks from today, on furnishing bail bond of Rs.25,000/-
(Rupees Twenty Five Thousand) with two sureties of the like
amount each to the satisfaction of the learned Court below where
the case is pending/ successor Court in connection with Hawai
Adda Police Station Case No. 28 of 2019, subject to the condition
as laid down under Section 438 (2) of the Cr.P.C./482 (2) of the
B.N.S.S.
(Soni Shrivastava, J)
devendra/-
U T
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