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High Court of Gujarat

ANISHKUMAR KHODIDASBHAI VADODARIYAversusSTATE OF GUJARAT

Disposal
38-RULE ABSOLUTE/ALLOWED @ FH

Holding

The court held that anticipatory bail must be granted as the applicant has no prior antecedents, is not in contact with co‑accused, and has pledged cooperation, making the risk factors insufficient to deny bail.

Summary

The applicant sought anticipatory bail under Section 482 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, in connection with an FIR alleging offences under the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita and the Information Technology Amendment Act. The prosecution opposed bail citing the gravity of the offences. The court examined factors such as the nature of the allegations, the applicant’s clean antecedent record, lack of contact with co‑accused, and the applicant’s assurance not to flee. Relying on precedents like Siddharam Satlingappa Mhetre and Sibbia, the court found no reason to deny bail. Consequently, the court granted anticipatory bail on a personal bond of Rs.10,000 with a surety of equal amount, subject to several conditions including cooperation with investigation and restriction on travel abroad. The order also clarified that the bail does not impede police investigation.

Issues considered

  • Whether anticipatory bail should be granted under Section 482 BNSS given the nature and gravity of the offences alleged.
  • Whether the applicant poses a risk of fleeing, tampering with evidence, or influencing witnesses.
  • Whether imposing conditions on bail is appropriate in this case.

Legislation cited

Subjects

anticipatory bailSection 482 BNSSbail jurisprudenceflight riskIT Act offencescriminal procedure

Judgment

      R/CR.MA/4674/2026                                             ORDER DATED: 02/07/2026




             IN THE HIGH COURT OF GUJARAT AT AHMEDABAD

R/CRIMINAL MISC.APPLICATION (FOR ANTICIPATORY BAIL) NO. 4674
                          of 2026

==========================================================
                  ANISHKUMAR KHODIDASBHAI VADODARIYA
                                 Versus
                           STATE OF GUJARAT
==========================================================
Appearance:
S M KIKANI(7596) for the Applicant(s) No. 1
MR RONAK RAVAL, APP for the Respondent(s) No. 1
==========================================================

 CORAM:HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE SANJEEV J.THAKER

                                    Date : 02/07/2026

                                     ORAL ORDER




1.      By way of this application under Section 482 of the

Bharatiya         Nagarik         Suraksha          Sanhita,         2023      ( for    short,
“BNSS”), the applicant has prayed for anticipatory bail in the
event of arrest in connection with the FIR being C.R. No.

11214042252173 of 2025, registered with Olpad Police Station,

District:      Surat        Rural    for     the         offences    punishable         under

Sections 317(2), 318(4), 54, 3(5) of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita

and      Section          66-C,   66-D      of     the      Information         Technology

Amendment Act.



2.      Rule.         Learned       Additional            Public     Prosecutor        waives

service of notice of rule for respondent – State of Gujarat.




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      R/CR.MA/4674/2026                                        ORDER DATED: 02/07/2026




3.      Learned advocate for the applicant submits that the

nature of allegations are such that custodial interrogation at

this stage is not necessary. It is further submitted that the

applicant will keep himself available during the course of

investigation and trial also and will not flee from justice.



3.1     The learned advocate for the applicant further states

that the applicant shall abide by all the conditions that may

be imposed while granting anticipatory bail to the applicant.

Accordingly, it is urged that this application may be allowed

and to grant the anticipatory bail to the applicant.



4.      As against this, the learned Additional Public Prosecutor

appearing on behalf of the respondent – State has opposed

grant of anticipatory bail looking to the nature and gravity of
the offence and requested not to entertain this application.



5.      Having heard the learned advocates appearing for the

parties and perusing the papers available on record, it is

incumbent          upon         the   Court         to    exercise        its   discretion

judiciously, cautiously and strictly in compliance with the

basic principles laid down in plethora of decisions of the

Apex Court on the point. It is well settled that, among other

circumstances,            the    factors      to     be   borne      in     mind    while

considering an application for bail are (i) the nature and



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      R/CR.MA/4674/2026                                         ORDER DATED: 02/07/2026




gravity of the accusation; (ii) the antecedents of the applicant

including the fact as to whether he has previously undergone

imprisonment on conviction by a Court in respect of any

cognizable offence; (iii) the possibility of the applicant to flee

from justice; and (iv) where the accusation has been made

with the object of injuring or humiliating the applicant by

having him so arrested. Though at the stage of granting bail

an elaborate examination of evidence and detailed reasons

touching the merits of the case, which may prejudice the

case of accused, should be avoided.                          However, prima facie,

following aspects have been taken into consideration:



a)      by an order dated 07.04.2026, the Coordinate Bench had

sought for instructions from the learned APP whether the

applicant was in contact with any of the accused, and for the
same, the CDR report was called for. Learned APP states

that after the investigation, the present applicant was not in

contact with any of the accused;

b)      the applicant has no past antecedents;

c)      the learned advocate for the applicant has assured that

the     applicant         will   not    flee    from    justice      and     would        be

available during investigation as well as the trial.



6.      Considering the aforesaid aspects and the law laid down

by     the     Hon’ble       Apex      Court     in    the    case     of    Siddharam



                                         Page 3 of 6
     R/CR.MA/4674/2026                                     ORDER DATED: 02/07/2026




Satlingappa Mhetre v. State of Maharashtra and Others,
reported in (2011) 1 SCC 6941, wherein the Hon’ble Apex
Court reiterated the law laid down by the Constitution Bench

in   the     case        of   Shri Gurubaksh Singh Sibbia & Others,
reported in (1980) 2 SCC 665 and also the decision in the
case of Sushila Aggarwal v. State (NCT of Delhi), reported in

(2020) 5 SCC 1, the Court is inclined to allow the present
application.



7.     In the result, this application is allowed by directing

that in the event of arrest/ appearance of the applicant in

connection with the above-referred FIR, the applicant shall be

released on bail on furnishing a personal bond of Rs.10,000/-

(Rupees Ten Thousand) with one surety of like amount on

the following conditions that applicant:


       (a)      shall cooperate with the investigation and make

       available for interrogation whenever required;



       (b)      shall         not   directly      or   indirectly     make           any

       inducement, threat or promise to any person acquainted

       with the fact of the case so as to dissuade him from

       disclosing such facts to the court or to any police

       officer;




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      R/CR.MA/4674/2026                                              ORDER DATED: 02/07/2026




        (c)      shall         not      obstruct         or     hamper          the      police

        investigation and not to play mischief with the evidence

        collected or yet to be collected by the police;



        (d)      shall         remain    present         at    the      concerned        Police

        Station on 09.07.2026 between 11.00 a.m. and 2.00 p.m.;



        (e)      shall at the time of execution of bond, furnish the

        address           to    the   investigating           officer    and      the     court

        concerned and shall not change residence till the final

        disposal of the case till further orders;



        (f)      shall not leave India without the permission of the

        Court and if having passport shall deposit the same

        before the trial Court within a week;


        (g)      It is open to the police or the investigating agency

        to move the learned trial Court for a direction under

        Section 483(2) of the BNSS to arrest the accused, in

        the event of violation of any term, such as absconding,

        non-cooperating                 during            investigation,              evasion,

        intimidation or inducement to witnesses with a view to

        influence outcome of the investigation or trial, etc.



7.1     At the trial, the Trial Court shall not be influenced by



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                   R/CR.MA/4674/2026                                                ORDER DATED: 02/07/2026




             the     prima        facie     observations           made        by     this     Court       while

             considering the bail application.



             8.       It is made clear that this order of anticipatory bail does

             not in any manner limit or restrict the rights or duties of

             the police or investigative agency to investigate into the

             charges against the applicant who is granted pre-arrest bail.



             9.       Rule is made absolute to the aforesaid extent.                                      Direct

             service is permitted.


                                                                                  (SANJEEV J.THAKER,J)
             URIL RANA




Original copy of this order has been signed by the Hon'ble Judge.
Digitally signed by: RANA URIL K(HC01406), PRIVATE SECRETARY, at High Court of Gujarat on 02/07/2026 15:26:06




                                                           Page 6 of 6


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