2026:JHHC:16960 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JHARKHAND AT RANCHI Criminal Appeal (S.J.) No.98 of 2026 .... 1. Lal Vijay Nath Shahdeo, aged about 56 years 2. Uday Nath Shahdeo, aged about 48 years 3. Dhirendra Nath Shahdeo, aged about 38 years All sons of Late Bishwa Nath Sai @ Bishwanath Soy, Resident of Jariyagarh, P.O. & P.S. Jariyagarh, District-Khunti, Presently Residing at Ganpat Nagar, Dhumsatoli, Chutia, P.O.-Chutia, P.S.-Chutia, District- Ranchi .… Appellants Versus 1. The State of Jharkhand 2. Alok Topno, S/o-Late Binod Topno, aged 40 yrs., resident of village- Rehargada, PO & PS-Jariyagarh, Dist-Khunti .... Respondents .... CORAM: HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE RAJESH KUMAR For the Appellants : Mr. P.A.S.Pati, Adv. For the State : Mr. S.K.Shukla, A.P.P. For the Resp. No.2 : Mr. Anurag Kumar, Adv. .... 04/12.06.2026 1. The present appeal has been filed under Section 14-A of the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act, 2018. 2. Heard learned counsel for the appellants and learned APP as well as learned counsel for the respondent No.2. 3. The present appeal is directed against the order dated 18.12.2025 passed by the learned Addl. Sessions Judge-I, Khunti in A.B.P. No.242 of 2025 in connection with Jariyagarh P.S. Case No.12 of 2025, registered for the offence under Sections 420/ 467/ 468/ 471/ 120B and 34 of IPC and Sections 3(1)(f) & 3(1)(g) of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, whereby and whereunder the prayer of the appellants for grant of anticipatory bail have been rejected. The case is presently pending before the court of learned D.A.S.J.1st– cum-Special Judge, (SC/ST), Khunti. 4. The appellant has approached this Court for grant of anticipatory bail although the same is barred under Section 18 of the SC/ST (PoA) Act but there is land dispute between the parties and as such the prayer made in the present appeal is maintainable. 5. It has been submitted by the learned counsel for the appellants that primarily it is a land dispute which has wrongly been aggravated under the SC/ST Act. It has been further submitted that as per the allegation, the land has been wrongly mutated in the name of father of these appellants. Further, there 2026:JHHC:16960 2 Criminal Appeal (S.J.) No.98 of 2026 was also a case of double mutation. The matter has been referred to the civil court for adjudication. It has been observed by the revenue authority that it is a civil dispute to be adjudicated by the competent civil court. 6. Learned counsel for the State and learned counsel for the victim have opposed the prayer for bail and submitted that with the connivance of the State authority the manipulation in the official record has been done and these appellants have criminal antecedent of similar nature. 7. Considering the fact that primarily, it is a civil dispute regarding the title and possession of the land and there was adjudication by the revenue authority also, I am inclined to enlarge the appellants on anticipatory bail. Accordingly, the appellants, above named, are directed to surrender before the learned Trial Court within a period of four weeks from the date of receipt/production of copy of this order and in the event of their arrest or surrender, they shall be enlarged on bail, on his furnishing bail bonds of Rs.10,000/- ( Rupees Ten Thousand only) each with two sureties of the like amount each to the satisfaction of learned D.A.S.J.1st–cum-Special Judge, (SC/ST), Khunti in connection with Jariyagarh P.S. Case No.12 of 2025 on the conditions as laid down under Section 482 of the B.N.S.S., 2023. Further, the appellants will submit self-attested photo copy of their Aadhaar Card and also submit their mobile number before the learned trial court which they will always keep active and will not change it during pendency of this case without prior permission of the Court. 8. Accordingly, instant criminal appeal is allowed and disposed of. (Rajesh Kumar, J.) 12.06.2026 Shahid/ Uploaded on 15.06.2026