2026:JHHC:25814 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JHARKHAND AT RANCHI B.A. No. 7334 of 2026 Mangari Lakra, Aged about 58 years, Wife of Lango Pahan, Resident of Village- Malti, P.O. & P.S.- Itki, District – Ranchi, Jharkhand … … Petitioner Versus The State of Jharkhand … … Opposite Party With B.A. No. 7432 of 2026 1. Meena Lakra, aged about 37 years, Wife of Bhim Lakra, 2. Bhelo Lakra, Aged about 44 years, Wife of Bajrang Lakra, Both Resident of Village- Malti, P.O. & P.S.- Itki, District- Ranchi, Jharkhand … … Petitioners Versus The State of Jharkhand … … Opposite Party With B.A. No. 7439 of 2026 1. Manju Orain, Aged about 32 years, Wife of Sohrai Lakra, 2. Sanju Kerketta, Aged about 39 years, Wife of Mahadeo Kerketta, Both Resident of village – Malti, P.O. & P.S.- Itki, District- Ranchi, Jharkhand. … … Petitioner Versus The State of Jharkhand … … Opposite Party --- CORAM: HON’BLE MRS. JUSTICE ANUBHA RAWAT CHOUDHARY --- For the Petitioners : Mr. Jayant Pandey, Advocate : Mr. Anwar Hussain, Advocate For the State : Mr. Shree Prakash Jha, APP [ in B.A. No. 7334 of 2026] : Mr. Bishwambhar Shastri, APP [in B.A. No. 7432 of 2026] : Ms. Bandana Sinha, APP [in B.A. No. 7439 of 2026] For the Informant : Mr. Shashank Shekhar, Advocate --- 07/27.08.2026 Heard the learned counsels appearing on behalf of the parties. 2. Learned counsel for the petitioners submits that the petitioners are in custody in connection with Itki P.S. Case No. 45 of 2023, registered under Sections 302/201/34 of Indian Penal Code and sections 3/4 of Prevention of Witch (Daain) Practices Act, now pending in the court of learned AJC, XX, Ranchi. 3. Learned counsel for the petitioners submits that all the 2026:JHHC:25814 2 petitioners are ladies and are in custody since 03.02.2026. He submits that the petitioners are not named in the First Information Report and they have been falsely implicated in this case. The case was registered way back on 05.06.2023 when the dead body of the deceased was found on 05.06.2023. She was missing since 01.06.2023 as the informant last met her mother on 01.06.2023. The learned counsel submits that there is no material to link the petitioners with the alleged offence except the confessional statement of co-accused. He submits that the petitioners may be enlarged on bail. 4. Learned counsel for the informant, while opposing the prayer for bail, has submitted that in the re-statement of the informant recorded in paragraph no. 128 of the case-diary, the informant has given vivid description of how each of the petitioners herein had termed the deceased as ‘witch’ on account of death of one Anish Oraon and they had assaulted the deceased and subsequently, she was found dead. He submits that at this stage the petitioners may not be released as the trial is going on and none of the witnesses has been examined in the present case relating to the petitioners which is a different Sessions Trial case arising out of the same First Information Report. He submits that the petitioners may tamper with the evidence. 5. After hearing the learned counsels for the parties and considering the serious nature of allegation relating to murder of the deceased by terming her as ‘witch’ and considering the materials which have been collected during investigation against them also as indicated by the learned counsel for the informant from the case-diary coupled with the fact that material witnesses are yet to be examined, this Court is not inclined to enlarge the petitioners on bail and hence, these bail applications are rejected. 6. Let a copy of this order be communicated to the learned court concerned through “FAX/email”. (Anubha Rawat Choudhary, J.) Date of Order:27.08.2026 Pankaj Date of Uploading:29.08.2026