( 2026:JHHC:17300 ) IN THE HIGH COURT OF JHARKHAND AT RANCHI A. B. A. No. 3089 of 2026 Ranjeet Kumar Yadav, age about 30 years, son of Mahavir Yadav, resident of village Kolhuwakala, P.O. Tilaiya Dam, P.S. Barhi, Kolhua Kalan, District- Hazaribag, Jharkhand ...... … Petitioner Versus The State of Jharkhand .…. … Opposite Party -------- CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SANJAY KUMAR DWIVEDI For the Petitioner :Mr. Santosh Kr. Soni, Advocate For the State : Mr. Prabhu Dayal Agrawal, Spl. P.P. 02/ 16.06.2026: Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and learned counsel for the State. 2. The petitioner is apprehending his arrest in connection with Barhi P.S. Case No. 234 of 2025, registered under sections 317(2), 3(5) of BNS and section 21 of MMDR Act and Rules 54 of J.M.M.C Rule, pending in the Court of learned S.D.J.M, Hazaribag. 3. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that petitioner is driver of tractor in question and allegation is made that 100 cft sand was loaded on the said tractor. He fairly submits that petitioner has one criminal antecedent that was with regard to another tractor and subsequently he joined with the owner of the present tractor. He next submits that on the instruction of owner he loaded the said sand. He further submits that owner of the tractor has been granted anticipatory bail by the learned Sessions Judge. He submits that petitioner earns his livelihood by driving the tractor. On these grounds, he submits that the petitioner may kindly be provided privilege of anticipatory bail. 4. Learned counsel for the State opposes the prayer and submits that illegally the sand was being carried on the said tractor. 5. Considering that petitioner is a driver of tractor in question and it has been pointed out that petitioner earns his livelihood by driving the ( 2026:JHHC:17300 ) tractor. The owner has been granted anticipatory bail by the learned Sessions Judge. Further criminal antecedent cannot be sole criteria of either rejecting or allowing anticipatory bail or regular bail. 6. In the attending facts and circumstances of the case, I am inclined to grant anticipatory bail to the petitioner. Accordingly, the above named, petitioner is directed to surrender before the learned court within three weeks from today and in the event of his surrender / arrest, the petitioner shall be released on bail, on furnishing bail bonds of Rs. 25,000/- (twenty five thousand) with two sureties of the like amount each, to the satisfaction of learned S.D.J.M, Hazaribag, in connection with Barhi P.S. Case No. 234 of 2025, subject to conditions as laid down under Section 482 (2) of B.N.S.S, 2023. Dt.16.06.2026 ( Sanjay Kumar Dwivedi, J.) satyarthi-