2025:JHHC:10471 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JHARKHAND AT RANCHI B. A. No. 2559 of 2025 Sukhdev Singh @ Sukan Singh, S/o Sevsahay Singh, R/o Village- Abun, P.O. Tal & P.S. Panki, District- Palamau at Daltonganj. .... .. ... Petitioner(s) Versus The State of Jharkhand. .. ... ...Opp. Party(s) ........... CORAM : HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE GAUTAM KUMAR CHOUDHARY ......... For the Petitioner : Mr. Arvind Prajapati, Advocate Mr. Nawin Kumar, Advocate For the State : Mr. Abhay Kr. Tiwari, APP …... 04/ 04.04.2025. Earlier prayer for bail of the petitioner was rejected on merits vide order dated 01.05.2023 passed in B.A. No.3052 of 2023 and vide order dated 01.03.2024 passed in B.A. No.10939 of 2023. Petitioner above-named who is in custody has renewed his prayer for grant of regular bail in connection with S.T. Case No.64 of 2023 [arising out of Panki P.S. Case No.101 of 2012 & G.R. Case No.2115 of 2012] registered under Sections 302, 201, 323, 120(b), 34 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 3 /4 of Witch Craft Act. Heard the parties. It is submitted by learned counsel for the petitioner that the petitioner has renewed his prayer for bail on the ground that out of fourteen charge- sheeted witnesses, only five witnesses have been examined and the last witness had been examined on or before the last order passed by this Court and the petitioner is in custody since 08.12.2022. It is contended that more than one year has elapsed since the last order passed and there is no progress in the further trial of the case. Learned APP for the State has vehemently opposed the prayer. It is submitted that since the matter involves the offences punishable with life imprisonment, as such, period of custody will not be germane for renewal of the bail application. I do not find any change of circumstance to grant bail to the petitioner and accordingly the same is again rejected. However, learned Trial Court is directed to expedite the trial and apprise this Court about the progress after six months from today. List this case thereafter. (Gautam Kumar Choudhary, J.) Sandeep/