Extracted from the PDF above. The PDF is authoritative.
BAIL APPLN. 3143/2026
Page 1 of 4 pages $~71 * IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI %
Date of Decision: 06.08.2026 # CNR No. DLHC010356952026 + BAIL APPLN. 3143/2026
MANOJ KUMAR JHA
.....Petitioner
Through: Mr. Aditya Kapoor, Advocate
versus
STATE GOVT OF NCT OF DELHI
.....Respondent Through: Mr. Amit Ahlawat, APP for State with SI Uttam Singh
CORAM: JUSTICE GIRISH KATHPALIA J U D G M E N T (ORAL)
1. The accused/applicant seeks anticipatory bail in case FIR No. 81/2024 of PS Parliament Street for offence under Section 204/337/340(2) of BNS.
2. Broadly speaking, the allegations against the accused/applicant are that he impersonated as civil servant and tried to obtain sensitive confidential information from various senior authorities. The accused/applicant also allegedly impersonated as a judge of the Patna High Court.
3.
Learned counsel for accused/applicant contends that despite dismissal of anticipatory bail applications way back in the year 2024, followed by GIRISH KATHPALIA Digitally signed by GIRISH KATHPALIA DN: c=IN, o=HIGH COURT OF DELHI, 2.5.4.20=8401dd889b27a77b2f65ffffe4afec45569 af3962c6fb4835d435f97626cacca, ou=HIGH COURT OF DELHI,CID - 7047638, postalCode=110003, st=Delhi, serialNumber=d3e86796451ec45c07b5d1557099 6b40f80cbd2eee60402c487965ff801e26fa, cn=GIRISH KATHPALIA Date: 2026.08.06 17:16:33 +05'30' Digitally Signed By:RAHUL YADAV Signing Date:06.08.2026 17:30:36 Signature Not Verified
BAIL APPLN. 3143/2026
Page 2 of 4 pages 2025 and dismissal of SLP on 08.09.2025, the police have not been arresting the accused/applicant, which shows that his custody is not required. Therefore, this third anticipatory bail application in the High Court has been filed. 4. Learned APP for State (in presence of IO/SI Uttam Singh) also expresses anguish that despite the Hon’ble Supreme Court having found it not a fit case to grant anticipatory bail, the police has not taken any action to arrest the accused/applicant. 5. As reflected from record, the accused/applicant is involved in the following FIRs:
“a. FIR no. 184/18, under Sections 170/186 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (hereinafter “IPC”) at Police Station - Shivaji Nagar, Gurugram, wherein, it is alleged that he impersonated himself as Mr. BK Jha, Judge of Patna High Court. b. FIR no. RC0032021A0029 dated 13th July, 2021, registered at Police Station - ACB, CBI, wherein, CBI arrested the applicant for cheating a person to the tune of Rs. 80 Lakhs by posing as Chairman of National Highway Authority of India. 200 SIM cards were recovered from his Bokaro, Jharkhand premises and the cheated amount i.e. Rs. 80 Lakhs was transferred through hawala to Kolkata and collected by the applicant himself. c. FIR no. 424/24, under Section 137(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, registered at Police Station - Babubarhi, Distt. Madhubani, Bihar. d. FIR no. 429/24, under Sections 318(2)/318(4)/319(2)/336(2)/ 336(3)/338/340(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, registered at Police Station - Babubarhi, Distt. Madhubani, Bihar. e. FIR no. 55/15, under Sections 170/420/467/468/471/201/184/511 GIRISH KATHPALIA Digitally signed by GIRISH KATHPALIA DN: c=IN, o=HIGH COURT OF DELHI, 2.5.4.20=8401dd889b27a77b2f65ffffe4afec 45569af3962c6fb4835d435f97626cacca, ou=HIGH COURT OF DELHI,CID - 7047638, postalCode=110003, st=Delhi, serialNumber=d3e86796451ec45c07b5d15 570996b40f80cbd2eee60402c487965ff801 e26fa, cn=GIRISH KATHPALIA Date: 2026.08.06 17:16:24 +05'30' Digitally Signed By:RAHUL YADAV Signing Date:06.08.2026 17:30:36 Signature Not Verified
BAIL APPLN. 3143/2026
Page 3 of 4 pages of the IPC, registered at Police Station - Ambala, Haryana. f. FIR no.
422/18, under Sections 170/201/419/420 of the IPC, registered at Police Station - Bhiwani Civil Lines, Haryana. g. FIR no. 51/15, under Sections 419/420/506 of the IPC, registered at Police Station - Samrala, Distt. Ludhiana, Punjab. h. FIR no. 35/16, under Sections 419/420/467/468/471/120B of the IPC, registered at Police Station – Sector 17, Chandigarh. i. FIR no. 26/17, under Sections 467/468 of the IPC, registered at Police Station – Laheria Sarai, District – Darbhanga, Bihar. j. FIR no. 592/13, under Sections 419/420 of the IPC, registered at Police Station – Laheria Sarai, District – Darbhanga, Bihar. k. FIR no. 16/13, under Sections 147/148/323/324/325/307/504/ 44/379 of the IPC, registered at Police Station – Babubarhi, Distt. Madhubani, Bihar. l. FIR no. 125/10, under Sections 171F/188 of the IPC, registered at Police Station – Babubarhi, Distt. Madhubani, Bihar.”
6. Apart from the nature of allegations, coupled with the fact that the accused/applicant is a habitual offender, I am also governed by strict judicial discipline. As mentioned above, the Hon’ble Supreme Court also did not find it a fit case to grant anticipatory bail and in any case, subsequent to the
order passed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court, there is no change of circumstances.
7. Considering the above circumstances, I do not find it a fit case to grant anticipatory bail.
8. At the same time, I am also surprised by the fact that despite dismissal of repeated anticipatory bail applications till Hon’ble Supreme Court, the local police appear to have taken no steps at all to arrest the GIRISH KATHPALIA Digitally signed by GIRISH KATHPALIA DN: c=IN, o=HIGH COURT OF DELHI, 2.5.4.20=8401dd889b27a77b2f65ffffe4afec455 69af3962c6fb4835d435f97626cacca, ou=HIGH COURT OF DELHI,CID - 7047638, postalCode=110003, st=Delhi, serialNumber=d3e86796451ec45c07b5d15570 996b40f80cbd2eee60402c487965ff801e26fa, cn=GIRISH KATHPALIA Date: 2026.08.06 17:16:14 +05'30' Digitally Signed By:RAHUL YADAV Signing Date:06.08.2026 17:30:36 Signature Not Verified
BAIL APPLN. 3143/2026
Page 4 of 4 pages accused/applicant, which conveys an impression that accused/applicant is being helped and there is something more that meets the eye. That being so, copy of this order be sent to the concerned Deputy Commissioner of Police through the learned Senior Standing Counsel for information and necessary action.
GIRISH KATHPALIA (JUDGE) AUGUST 06, 2026/as GIRISH KATHPALIA Digitally signed by GIRISH KATHPALIA DN: c=IN, o=HIGH COURT OF DELHI, 2.5.4.20=8401dd889b27a77b2f65ffffe4af ec45569af3962c6fb4835d435f97626cacc a, ou=HIGH COURT OF DELHI,CID - 7047638, postalCode=110003, st=Delhi, serialNumber=d3e86796451ec45c07b5d 15570996b40f80cbd2eee60402c487965ff 801e26fa, cn=GIRISH KATHPALIA Date: 2026.08.06 17:16:00 +05'30' By:RAHUL YADAV Signing Date:06.08.2026 17:30:36