2025:JHHC:17717 -: 1 :- IN THE HIGH COURT OF JHARKHAND AT RANCHI A.B.A. No. 1217 of 2025 ---- 1. Subhash Chandra Lenka S/o Mr. Raghunath Lenka, working as Chief Manager, Punjab National Bank, Kaimur, Resident of C/o Subodh Kumar Patra, New Xavier Nagar, Delatoli, PO & PS Kokar, District Ranchi, State Jharkhand, Pin 834001. 2. Sakal Deo Modi S/o Mr. Damodar Modi, working as AGM, Punjab National Bank, Bangaluru West, Resident of Flat No.102, Dev Kiran Apartment, Purulia Road, PO PS Lalpur, District Ranchi. 3. Deepak Kumar Srivastava S/o Mr. Ramanuj Prasad Srivastava, working as General Manager, Zonal Office, Hyderabad, Punjab National Bank, Resident of 21, Ajay Nilyan Apartment, Parmanand Path, Nageshwar Colony, PO PS S.K. Puri, District Patna, State Bihar, Pin 800001. 4. Samrendra Panda, S/o Mr. Giridhari Panda, retired as DGM, Punjab National Bank, Resident of Aurabindanagar, Chandrashekharpur, PO PS Khordha, Bhubaneswar, State Odisha. 5. Parvesh Kumar Sharma S/o Mr. Om Prakash Sharma, working as Chief Manager, Punjab National Bank, Circle Office Panipat, Resident of Flat No.301, Sukriti Apartment, PO PS Anantpur, District Ranchi, State Jharkhand, Pin 834004. 6. Sandip Kumar Panigrahi, S/o Lt. Siva Prasad Panigrahi, retired as General Manager, Punjab National Bank, resident of Flat No. E-6, 9D, SAIL City, New Pundag, PO PS Jagarnathpur, District Ranchi, State Jharkhand. 7. Pranay Kumar Mohanty, S/o Mr. Prafulla Ch. Mohanty, retired as DGM, Haryana Gramin Bank, Rohtak, resident of Duplex No.40, Aryapalli, KIIT Road, PO PS Khorda KIIT, Bhuvneshwar, State Odisha. 8. Praveen Kumar Jain, S/o Mr. P.C. Jain, retired as General Manager, Punjab National Bank, Zonal Office Delhi, resident of Flat No. GAF 024, DLF, New Town Heights, Sector 86, PO PS Budha Gurgaon, State Haryana. 9. Ajit Kumar Verma S/o Mr. Navin Chandra Verma, working as Chief Manager, PNB, ZSC Kolkata, Resident of Flat No.3A, Block C, Shantikunj Apartment, PO PS Bansdroni, Kolkata, State West Bengal. … Petitioners Versus The State of Jharkhand … Opposite Party ---- CORAM : SRI ANANDA SEN, J. ---- For the Petitioner : Mr. Sumit Prakash, Advocate For the Opp. Party: Mr. Anuj Kumar Trivedi, AC to SC VII ---- 03/ 03.07.2025 Heard learned counsel for the petitioners and learned counsel for the State. 2025:JHHC:17717 -: 2 :- 2. This anticipatory bail application under Sections 482 and 484 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, has been preferred by the petitioners apprehending their arrest in connection with Kotwali P.S. Case No. 205 of 2024 for offences alleged under Sections 316(5), 318(4), 336(3), 338, 340(2) & 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023. The case is presently pending before the Court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Ranchi. 3. As per the First Information Report, loan was sanctioned from Punjab National Bank, Mahavir Chowk Branch, Upper Bazar, Ranchi against her Commercial Hall and she was informed that original copy of the deed would be returned after repaying the loan amount. The informant arranged Rs.30 Lakh to liquidate her loan account and asked for written assurance from the bank that her original deed would be returned but she did not get the same. Later on, through a public notice in newspaper the informant got to know that her property had been clubbed with business loan of Shree Pratap Distributors & Ors. and the bank officials illegally wanted to auction her property. It has been alleged that without her consent, her property was clubbed with other loan account. 4. Learned counsel for the petitioners submits that the petitioners are working / retired high ranking officials of the Punjab National Bank. He submits that the informant by misusing the process of law, has instituted the present first information report with an ulterior motive of putting pressure on the bank for settlement of the loan account and to avoid repayment of liabilities. In fact, the Debts Recovery Tribunal had issued summons for appearance of the informant and even notice was published in newspaper also. Subsequently, the informant appeared and the matter being O.A. 45 of 2023 is still pending for adjudication before the Debts Recovery Tribunal. Learned counsel argued that the informant was the guarantor and had extended her property against enhancement of cash credit limit of M/s Shree Pratap Distributors, where proprietor is her Brother-in-law. Hence, the allegation of the informant that without her consent, her property has been clubbed with the load account of M/s Shree Pratap Distributors is absolutely without any basis. 5. Learned APP appearing for the State, vehemently, opposed the prayer of the petitioners for grant of anticipatory bail. Learned counsel for the informant argued that the petitioners, by tampering with the documents with a dishonest intention have defrauded the informant and in fact the informant is 2025:JHHC:17717 -: 3 :- neither the borrower nor a guarantor with respect to the loan account of Shri Pratap Distributors. 6. After hearing the parties, I have gone through the available records. The allegations in the First Information Report revolves around the property document of the informant, which are alleged to have been clubbed by the petitioners and other bank officials without the consent of the informant. To counter such allegation, the petitioners contended that the informant was the guarantor and had extended her property against enhancement of cash credit limit of M/s Shree Pratap Distributors. It is also admitted that for realization of the debts against the said loan account of M/s Shree Pratap Distributors, recovery proceeding being O.A. No. 82 of 2022 was initiated before the Debts Recovery Tribunal and the same stood disposed of by judgment dated 12.10.2023 and recovery certificate has also been drawn. Thus, the very basis of allegations made in the First Information Report, prima facie, are also subject matter of dispute in the proceeding before the Debts Recovery Tribunal. Further, it is also admitted that only on coming to know of the proceeding before the Debts Recovery Tribunal, the informant has lodged the present First Information Report. The auction notice of the property is also at the behest of Debt Recovery Tribunal. 7. Thus, considering the nature of allegations, the judgment of the Debts Recovery Tribunal and the fact that the petitioners are working / retired Bank officials, I am inclined to allow this Anticipatory Bail Application. The petitioners, named above, are directed to surrender before the Court below within four weeks from today and in the event of their surrender and/or arrest, they shall be released on bail on furnishing bail bonds of Rs.10,000/- (Rupees Ten Thousand) with two sureties of the like amount each to the satisfaction of the learned Chief Judicial Magistrate, Ranchi in connection with Kotwali Police Station Case No.205 of 2024, subject to the condition that one of the respective bailers should be close relative of the petitioners and other should be a resident of State of Jharkhand, having sufficient landed property in his own name or in the name of his ancestors in which he is having share and to that effect, he has to file an affidavit before the Trial Court indicating his share in the property. Further, the petitioners should cooperate with the investigation 8. This anticipatory bail application is, accordingly, allowed. (Ananda Sen, J.) Kumar/Cp-03