( 2026:JHHC:2105 ) -1- A.B.A. No. 418 of 2026 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JHARKHAND AT RANCHI A.B.A. No. 418 of 2026 Santosh Kumar Mahto, age 39 years, S/o Late Babulal Prajapati, R/o Village & P.O. Kotam, P.S. Gumla, District- Gumla, Jharkhand … Petitioner -Versus- The State of Jharkhand … Opposite Party ----- CORAM: HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE SANJAY KUMAR DWIVEDI ----- For the Petitioner : Ms. Kaushiki Mishra, Advocate For the State : Mr. Prabir Kumar Chatterjee, Spl.P.P. ----- 04/28.01.2026 Heard learned counsel appearing for the petitioner and learned counsel appearing for the State. 2. The petitioner is apprehending his arrest in connection with Complaint Case No.118/2024, registered for the offence under Sections 9, 51, 52 of the Wild Life Protection Act, 1972, pending in the Court of the learned C.J.M., Gumla. 3. Learned counsel appearing for the petitioner submits that the name of the entire male members of the village has been inserted in the complaint case. She further submits that the petitioner has not hunted the deer. She then submits that the petitioner has got no criminal antecedent, as disclosed in paragraph 12 of this application. She next submits that the recovery of the deer has been made from the house of one Mahadev Mahto. 4. Learned counsel appearing for the State opposed the prayer and submits that the allegations are there of hunting of the deer. 5. Considering that the entire male members of the village have been implicated in the complaint case and such recovery of the deer has been made from the house of Mahadev Mahto and the petitioner has got no criminal antecedent, as disclosed in paragraph 12 of this application and in ( 2026:JHHC:2105 ) -2- A.B.A. No. 418 of 2026 that view of the matter, the petitioner is directed to surrender before the learned Court within two weeks from today and the learned Court shall release the petitioner on such terms, conditions and sureties as the learned Court may deem fit and proper. 6. Accordingly, this application is disposed of. (Sanjay Kumar Dwivedi, J.) Dated: 28th January, 2026 Ajay/