RANCHI, India, May 25 -- Jharkhand High Court issued the following order on April 23:

1. The present appeal has been filed under Section 14-A of the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act.

2. Heard learned counsel for the appellant and learned APP as well as learned senior counsel for the respondent No.2.

3. The present appeal is directed against the order dated 17.07.2025 passed by the learned A.J.C.-II-cum-Spl. Judge SC/ST, Ranchi in A.B.P. No.608 of 2025 in connection with Ranchi Sadar P.S. Case No.428 of 2024, registered for the offence under Section 406/ 420/ 467/ 468/ 385/ 387/34 of the IPC and Sections 3(1)(f)(g)(s) of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 whereby and whereunder the prayer of the appellant for grant of anticipatory bail has been rejected. The case is presently pending before the court of learned A.J.C.-II-cum-Spl. Judge, SC/ST, Ranchi.

4. The appellant has approached this Court for grant of anticipatory bail although the same is barred under Section 18 of the SC/ST Act but there is land dispute and as such the prayer made in the present appeal is maintainable.

5. It has been submitted that it is a land dispute and in support of his claim he has submitted documents relating to the said land. Since, it is a land dispute, hence, reference is made to the judgment of Apex Court in the case of Hitesh Verma Vs. The State of Uttarakhand reported in 2020(10) SCC 710.

6. Learned counsel for the State and the learned senior counsel for the respondent No.2 have opposed the prayer for bail and they have also shown the documents suggesting that it is the land purchased by the victim.

7. Thus, prima facie, it appears that it is a land dispute.

8. In that view of the matter, the appellant, above named, is directed to surrender before the learned Trial Court within a period of four weeks from the date of receipt/production of copy of this order and in the event of his arrest or surrender, he shall be enlarged on bail, on his furnishing bail bonds of Rs.10,000/- ( Rupees Ten Thousand only) with two sureties of the like amount each to the satisfaction of learned A.J.C.-II-cum-Spl. Judge, SC/ST, Ranchi in connection with Ranchi Sadar P.S. Case No.428 of 2024 on the conditions as laid down under Section 482 of the B.N.S.S., 2023. Further, the appellant will submit self-attested photo copy of his Aadhaar Card and also submit his mobile number before the learned trial court which he will always keep active and will not change it during pendency of this case without prior permission of the Court.

9. Accordingly, instant criminal appeal is allowed.

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