[2026:JHHC:25162] -1- IN THE HIGH COURT OF JHARKHAND AT RANCHI A.B.A. No. 4761 of 2026 1. Rajesh Mahto @ Rajesh Kumar aged about 29 yrs. son of Jageshwar Mahto, resident of Village - Manamat, P.O. & P.S. - Bashishthnagar (Jori), District - Chatra. 2. Asheshwar Mahto aged about 32 yrs. son of Jibu Mahto, resident of Village Manamat, P.O. & P.S. Bashishthnagar (Jori), District - Chatra. 3. Ramdev Mahto aged about 47 yrs. son of Dhurju Mahto @ Durga Mahto @ Durgu Mahto, resident of Village Manamat, P.O. & P.S. Bashishthnagar (Jori), District Chatra. 4. Rajesh Mahto @ Rajesh Ranjan Kumar aged about 27 yrs. son of Nageshwar Mahto, resident of Village Manamat, P.O. &P.S. Bashishthnagar (Jori), District - Chatra. 5. Ashok Mahto @ Ashok Kumar aged about 28 yrs. son of Jibu Mahto, resident of Village Manamat, P.O. & P.S. Petitioners Bashishthnagar (Jori), District - Chatra. ..... … Petitioners Versus The State of Jharkhand ..... … Opposite Party -------- CORAM : HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE SANJAY KUMAR DWIVEDI ------ For the Petitioners : Mr. Sushant Kumar Sinha, Advocate. For the State : Mr. P.K. Chatterjee, A.P.P. ------ 05/ 20.08.2026 Heard learned counsel for the petitioners and learned A.P.P for the State. 2. The petitioners are apprehending their arrest in connection with Complaint Case No. 1445 of 2024, registered for the offence under 33(1)(C) of Indian Forest Act, pending in the court of learned Chief Judicial Magistrate, Chatra. 3. Learned counsel appearing for the petitioners submits that false allegation is made against the petitioners of cultivation of poppy [2026:JHHC:25162] -2- plant in the forest land. He next submits that the said land is not belonging to these petitioners. He further submits that the petitioners are poor villagers and having no criminal antecedent and disclosure to that effect has been made in para-18 of the petition. 4. Learned A.P.P. appearing for the State has opposed the prayer and submits that the allegations are there of cultivation of the poppy plant in the forest land. 5. Considering that the land is of forest department and the petitioners are having no criminal antecedent and disclosure to that effect has been made in para-18 of the petition and further the petitioners are said to be the poor villagers and in the attending facts and circumstances of the case, I am inclined to grant anticipatory bail to the petitioners, above named. 6. Accordingly, the petitioners, named above, are directed to surrender before the learned court within three weeks from today and in the event of their surrender / arrest, the petitioners shall be released on bail, on furnishing bail bonds of Rs. 25,000/- (twenty five thousand) each with two sureties of the like amount each, to the satisfaction of learned Chief Judicial Magistrate, Chatra, in connection with Complaint Case No. 1445 of 2024, subject to conditions as laid down under Section 482 (2) of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023. (Sanjay Kumar Dwivedi, J.) Dated:-20.08.2026 Amitesh/-