Patna High Court
Ranjit Kumar SinghversusThe State of Bihar
- Decided
- Disposal
- BAIL GRANTED
- Bench
- SONI SHRIVASTAVA
Holding
The court granted anticipatory bail to the petitioner subject to specified conditions.
Summary
The petitioner, Ranjit Kumar Singh, applied for anticipatory bail under Section 438 of the Criminal Procedure Code in a case (PS Case No. 975 of 2022) alleging offences under IPC Sections 420, 467, 468 and 471 relating to fraudulent sale deeds. The FIR alleged that co‑accused executed six sale deeds in favour of the informant and his wife, extracting over Rs. 1 crore by misrepresenting the true owner. The petitioner contended that he was merely an identifier on the deeds and not involved in the fraud, while the State opposed bail on the ground of his criminal antecedents. The court observed that the dispute was essentially civil concerning the execution of sale deeds and that the petitioner’s role was limited to identification. Accordingly, the court granted anticipatory bail subject to a bail bond of Rs.10,000, two sureties, a family member as a bailor, and cooperation with the investigation, with power to cancel bail for non‑cooperation.
Issues considered
- Whether anticipatory bail can be granted to a person who is only an identifier in a fraud case under IPC Sections 420, 467, 468, 471.
- Whether the petitioner’s criminal antecedents preclude the grant of anticipatory bail.
- Whether the civil nature of the underlying dispute influences the decision on anticipatory bail.
Legislation cited
- Bihar Negotiable Securities Act — s. 482(2)
- Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 — s. 438(2)
- Indian Penal Code — s. 420, 467, 468, 471
Subjects
- anticipatory bail
- IPC 420
- IPC 467
- IPC 468
- IPC 471
- civil dispute
- sale deed fraud
- bail conditions
- criminal antecedent
Judgment
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.2916 of 2026
Arising Out of PS. Case No.-975 Year-2022 Thana- MUZAFFARPUR TOWN District-
Muzaffarpur
======================================================
Ranjit Kumar Singh Son of Ram Umed Singh R/o Village - Bhikhanpur, P.S. -
Ahiyapur, District - Muzaffarpur.
... ... Petitioner/s
Versus
The State of Bihar
... ... Opposite Party/s
======================================================
Appearance :
For the Petitioner/s : Mr.Bela Singh
For the Opposite Party/s : Mr.Brajendra Nath Pandey
======================================================
CORAM: HONOURABLE JUSTICE SMT. SONI SHRIVASTAVA
ORAL ORDER
2 28-01-2026 Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and learned
Additional Public Prosecutor for the State.
2. The petitioner is apprehending his arrest in a case
registered for the offence punishable under Sections 420, 467,
468, 471 of the Indian Penal Code.
3. Allegation in the first information report is that the
accused persons after hatching conspiracy, executed six sale
deeds between the period from 25.04.2022 to 16.06.2022 in
favour of the informant and his wife and took more than Rs. 1
crore from them by presenting other persons in place of real
owner of the concerned property.
4. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that it
would be apparent from the first information report that the
thrust of the allegation is against co-accused Shamim Akhtar
Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.2916 of 2026(2) dt.28-01-2026
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who is said to have executed the sale deed and so far as the
petitioner is concerned, he is clearly an identifier on the said
sale deed. It has also been submitted that the role of the
informant remains confined to the extent of identifying the party
and he is in no way involved in any manner. It has further been
submitted that the actual owner of the land in question has also
instituted separate cases making the present informant and his
wife also an accused in the said cases.
5. Learned APP for the State has opposed the
application for anticipatory bail on the ground that the petitioner
has criminal antecedent.
6. Taking into consideration the facts and
circumstances and also considering the fact that the dispute
involves essentially a civil one with regard to execution of sale
deed and the petitioner only being an identifier, let the above
named petitioner, in the event of his arrest or surrender before
the learned Court below within a period of four weeks from
today, 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 the learned court below where the
case is pending/successor court in connection with Muzaffarpur
Town P.S. Case No. 975 of 2022, subject to the condition as laid
Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.2916 of 2026(2) dt.28-01-2026
3/3
down under Section 438 (2) of the Cr.P.C./482(2) of the
B.N.S.S., subject to the conditions that:
(I) One of the bailors would be the family member
or relative.
(II) The petitioner would cooperate in the
investigation/trial and if the petitioner does not cooperate, the
learned court below would be at liberty to cancel his bail bonds.
(Soni Shrivastava, J)
devendra/-
U T
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