20.07.2026 IN THE HIGH COURT AT CALCUTTA Item No.921 CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS JURISDICTION Ct.No.35 dc. Rejected C.R.M. (A) 1705 of 2026 In Re : An Application for anticipatory bail under Section 482 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 corresponding to Section 438 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 filed in connection with Gazole Police Station Case No. 319 of 2024 dated 29.04.2024 under Section 4 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act read with Sections 417/448/376/506 of the Indian Penal Code. And In Re : Sourav Mandal ... Petitioner. Mr. Suman De, Mr. Kazi M. Rahman ... For the Petitioner. Mr. Suraj Mishra ... For the State. Report submitted by the learned advocate appearing for the State along with the acknowledgement of the private opposite party no.2/de facto complainant be kept with the record. Memo of Evidence submitted on behalf of the State be also kept with the record Learned advocate appearing for the petitioner submits that there was a relationship between the petitioner and the victim and the victim was near to 18 years of age. As such, there was consensual relationship. Petitioner agrees to cooperate with the investigation. As such, he may be granted the benefit of anticipatory bail. Learned advocate appearing for the State, on the other hand, opposes the prayer for anticipatory bail and produces the case diary. 2 I have taken into account the statement of the victim as well as the medico-legal examination report. Having considered the same and the fact that the petitioner has been evading the police authorities since February, 2024, I am of the view that this is not a fit case for granting anticipatory bail to the present petitioner. As such, the prayer for anticipatory bail of the petitioner is rejected. The application for anticipatory bail, being CRM (A) 1705 of 2026, is, thus, dismissed. All concerned parties shall act on the server copy of this order duly downloaded from the official website of this Court. Urgent photostat certified copy of this order, if applied for, be supplied to the parties upon compliance with all requisite formalities. (Tirthankar Ghosh, J.)