Neutral Citation No. ( 2026:JHHC:4006 ) IN THE HIGH COURT OF JHARKHAND AT RANCHI A.B.A. No. 1702 of 2020 Avinash Kumar ... Petitioner Versus The Union of India through Central Bureau of Investigation …Opposite Party --- CORAM: HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE RONGON MUKHOPADHYAY For the Petitioner : Mrs. Ritu Kumar, Advocate For the CBI : Mr. Deepak Kumar Bharti, Advocate --- 06.02.2026 Heard Mrs. Ritu Kumar, the learned counsel for the petitioner and Mr. Deepak Kumar Bharti, the learned counsel appearing for the CBI. In this application, the petitioner has prayed for grant of anticipatory bail as he has a reasonable apprehension of being arrested in connection with RC 4(A)/2013-R registered for the offences under sections 120B/201/420/468/471 of the Indian Penal Code and section 13(2) read with section 13(1) (d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act. It has been alleged that the members of the JPSC along with Shri Dhiraj Kumar, representative of M/s Global Informatics had entered into a criminal conspiracy amongst themselves and in pursuance thereof, the public servants in strict abuse of their official positions, dishonestly and fraudulently manipulated/allowed to manipulate the merit list, assessment charts etc. of the examination/ interview to extend undue benefit to their preferred candidates. It has been submitted by Mrs. Ritu Kumar, the learned counsel for the petitioner that charge-sheet has already been submitted by the CBI. It has also been submitted that some of the co-accused persons have been granted anticipatory bail in A.B.A. No. 3349/22 and its analogous cases. The learned counsel adds that the petitioner is not named in the First Information Report but his name has surfaced in course of investigation without there being any iota of evidence against him. It has been submitted that the petitioner pursuant to being successful in JET 2006 was appointed as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology in the year 2008 and since then he has an unblemished career. Mr. Deepak Kumar Bharti, the learned counsel appearing for the CBI has opposed the prayer for anticipatory bail of the petitioner and has submitted that the petitioner is a beneficiary to the illegal transactions resorted to by the JPSC officials in connivance with the petitioner and in fact, the petitioner was selected on the basis of receiving 57 marks for his career and 24 marks for his interview though the CFSL has deciphered that one of the experts had given him 10 marks which was manipulated and changed to 30 in the assessment chart. Admittedly, charge-sheet has been submitted by the CBI and some of the accused persons have been granted anticipatory bail in A.B.A. No. 3349/22. On consideration of the aforesaid facts, I am inclined to extend the privilege of anticipatory bail to the petitioner. Accordingly, the petitioner is directed to surrender before the learned trial court within four weeks from today and on such surrender, 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 Special Judge, CBI at Ranchi in connection with RC 4(A)/2013-R, subject to the conditions as laid down under Section 482(2) of the Bhartiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023. This application is allowed. Pending I.A., if any, stands closed. (RONGON MUKHOPADHYAY, J.) 06.02.2026 S.B. Uploaded on 16.02.2026 -2-