Patna High Court

Rahul Ranjan @ Rahul PaswanversusThe State of Bihar

Decided: 17 January 2026
Disposal: BAIL GRANTED
Bench: PRABHAT KUMAR SINGH

Holding

Bail is granted to the petitioner subject to a bond of Rs 10,000 and two sureties, under the conditions of Section 482(2) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.

Summary

The petitioner, Rahul Ranjan, feared arrest in a case alleging conspiracy to leak the Bihar Excise Police Staff Selection exam paper, with charges under several IPC sections. The prosecution’s case is based on information that co‑accused, apprehended during a raid, named the petitioner in their confessional statements, although his name does not appear in the FIR. The petitioner asserted that he was not present at the alleged incident, had no connection to the alleged leak, and possessed a clean antecedent. The State opposed the bail application. Considering the petitioner’s clean record, lack of direct inclusion in the FIR, and the circumstances, the Court ordered bail on a bond of Rs 10,000 with two sureties, subject to conditions under Section 482(2) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.

Issues considered

Whether the petitioner is entitled to bail despite being named only in confessional statements and not in the FIR
Whether Section 482(2) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, permits the grant of bail in the present circumstances

Legislation cited

Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 — s. 482(2)
Indian Penal Code — s. 34, 384, 386, 420, 467, 468, 469

Subjects

bail
criminal procedure
conspiracy
exam paper leak
clean antecedent
Section 482
Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita
Indian Penal Code

Judgment

                      IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
                              CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.88149 of 2025
                     Arising Out of PS. Case No.-174 Year-2023 Thana- BAHADURPUR District- Patna
                 ======================================================
                 Rahul Ranjan @ Rahul Paswan S/o Rajendra Paswan R/o Village- Sondihra,
                 P.S- Shivsagar, Dist- Rohtas (Bihar)

                                                                                 ... ... Petitioner/s
                                                      Versus
                 The State of Bihar

                                                        ... ... Opposite Party/s
                 ======================================================
                 Appearance :
                 For the Petitioner/s     :      Mr. Nilesh Kumar , Advocate
                 For the Opposite Party/s :      Mr. Umeshanand Pandit , APP
                 ======================================================
                 CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE PRABHAT KUMAR SINGH
                                       ORAL ORDER

2   17-01-2026                          Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and the

                   State .

                                 2. Petitioner apprehends his arrest in a case registered

                   for the offence punishable under sections 420, 467, 468 , 469,

                   384, 386 and 34 of IPC .

                                 3 . The prosecution case , in brief, is that informant

                   got an information that all the F.I.R. named accused persons,

                   under a criminal conspiracy , leaked the question paper of Bihar

                   Excise Police Staff Selection 2023 in Ambedkar Hostel Campus.

                   Upon such information , a raid was conducted and 8 persons

                   were apprehended on the spot who disclosed the name of this

                   petitioner.

                                 4. It is submitted on behalf of the petitioners that

                   petitioner is not named in the F.I.R. The name of the petitioner
            Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.88149 of 2025(2) dt.17-01-2026
                                                        2/2




                      transpired during course of investigation on confessional

                      statement of apprehended co-accused persons. The exam paper

                      of the aforesaid exam was not leaked because not a single exam

                      was cancelled. Petitioner was not present at the spot nor he is in

                      any manner connected with the aforesaid alleged occurrence .

                      Petitioner claims clean antecedent.

                                   5 . Learned counsel for the State opposed the bail

                      petition .

                                   6 Considering the aforesaid facts, clean antecedent of

                      the petitioner and other circumstances of the case , in the event

                      of arrest or surrender within eight weeks from today, let the

                      petitioner, as named above, be enlarged on bail on furnishing

                      bail bond of Rs.10,000/-(ten thousand) with two sureties of the

                      like amount each to the satisfaction of the learned JM Ist Patna

                      City in connection with Bahadurpur P.S. Case No. 174 of 2023 ,

                      subject to the conditions laid down under section 482(2) of the

                      Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita , 2023 .



                                            (Prabhat Kumar Singh, J)
Koushik/-

U      T

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