2025:JHHC:10595 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JHARKHAND AT RANCHI A. B. A. No. 1868 of 2025 --- Haribansh Pandit son of Late Tuplal Pandit, presently posted as Deputy Commissioner cum Secretary, Regional Transport Authority, Ranchi, PO GPO, PS Kotwali, District Ranchi, Jharkhand… … Petitioner Versus Central Bureau of Investigation … … Opposite Party --- CORAM : HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE RONGON MUKHOPADHYAY --- For the Petitioner : Mr. Sumit Prakash, Advocate For the Opposite Party : Mr. Prashant Pallav, Special P.P. --- 3/07.04.2025 Heard Mr. Sumit Prakash, learned counsel for the petitioner and Mr. Prashant Pallav, learned Special P.P. for the CBI. The petitioner is apprehending his arrest in connection with R.C. 05(A)/2012-AHD-R arising out of Vigilance P. S. ACB No. 10 of 2011. It has been alleged that the accused persons who were holding the responsible position at JPSC (Jharkhand Public Service Commission), some evaluators of the answer booklets and some candidates had committed blatant irregularities in the recruitment of Deputy Collectors in the 1st Combined Civil Services Examination conducted by the JPSC. It has been alleged that favour was extended to the desired applicants by the co-accused officers and evaluators by declaring more candidates successful and they did not also follow the norms laid down by the JPSC. It has further been alleged that some of the candidates had been favoured during interview. Submission has been advanced by the learned counsel for the petitioner that the petitioner was not charge-sheeted, but subsequently cognizance has been taken vide order dated 16.01.2025. It has further been submitted that the petitioner is one of the candidates who had appeared in the 1st Combined Civil Services Examination conducted by the JPSC and in course of investigation, no illegality was found with respect to the marks secured by the petitioner. -2- Learned Special P.P. for the CBI opposed the prayer for anticipatory bail of the petitioner and while referring to the charge sheet has submitted that there are several instances which would indicate that the present petitioner though was not charge-sheeted but he alongwith other persons similarly situated had played an active role in league with the evaluators as well as the other officials in committing illegalities in the recruitment process of the 1st Combined Civil Services Examination conducted by the JPSC. Considering the fact that the petitioner was not charge-sheeted though, subsequently cognizance was taken by the learned trial court which has necessitated the petitioner preferring this anticipatory bail application, I am inclined to extend the privilege of anticipatory bail to the petitioner. Accordingly, the petitioner above named is directed to surrender in the court below within four weeks and pray for bail, and in that event, he shall be released on bail on furnishing bail bond of Rs. 10,000/- (Ten Thousand) with two sureties of the like amount each, to the satisfaction of learned A.J.C. XVIII cum Special Judge, CBI, Ranchi in connection with R.C. 05(A)/2012-AHD-R arising out of Vigilance P. S. ACB No. 10 of 2011, subject to the conditions as laid down under Section 482 (2) of the Bhartiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023. This application stands allowed. (Rongon Mukhopadhyay, J) R. Shekhar Cp 3