APHC010286992026 IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH AT AMARAVATI (Special Original Jurisdiction) [3521] TUESDAY, THE TWENTY THIRD DAY OF JUNE TWO THOUSAND AND TWENTY SIX PRESENT THE HONOURABLE DR JUSTICE Y. LAKSHMANA RAO CRIMINAL PETITION NO: 4624/2026 Between: 1. T MANIKANTAN, S/O T.NAGARAJU,AGED 27 YEARS, D.NO. 4-17, CHENTHAPENTA VILLAGE,PALAMANERMANDAL, CHITTOOR DISTRICT. ...PETITIONER/ACCUSED AND 1. THE STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH, rep by its Public Prosecutor,High Court of Andhra Pradesh,At Amaravati. ...RESPONDENT/COMPLAINANT Petition under Section 437/438/439/482 of Cr.P.C and 528 of BNSS praying that in the circumstances stated in the Memorandum of Grounds of Criminal Petition, the High Courtpleased to release the Petitioner/Accused No.l on bail, pending investigation, inquiry and trial in OR.No.41/2026 in Palamaner Range, Chittoor Counsel for the Petitioner/accused: 1. D PURNACHANDRA REDDY Counsel for the Respondent/complainant: 1. PUBLIC PROSECUTOR Dr.YLR,J Crl.P No.4624 of 2026 2 THE HONOURABLE DR JUSTICE Y. LAKSHMANA RAO Criminal Petition No:4624 of 2026 The Court made the following Order: The Criminal Petition has been filed under Sections 480 and 483 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (for brevity ‘the BNSS’), seeking to enlarge the Petitioner/Accused No.1 on bail in Crime No.41 of 2026 of Palamaner Range, Chittoor District, registered against the Petitioner/Accused No.1 herein for the offences punishable under Section 20(1)(c)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vi)(x) read with 20(i)(d)(i), 62 of Andhra Pradesh Forest (Amendment) Act, 2016, Rule 3 and 4 of AP Sandal Wood and Red Sander Wood Transit Rules, 1969, Section 303(2) read with 3(5), 49, 61(2) of BNS Act, 2023. 2. Sri D.Purna Chandra Reddy, the learned counsel for the petitioner, submits that the petitioner is innocent of the alleged offence and he has been falsely implicated by the police. It is further submitted that the petitioner is the sole earning member of the family and, therefore, his incarceration would cause undue hardship to his dependents. The petitioner undertakes to strictly adhere to any conditions that may be imposed by this Court. In light of the foregoing submissions, learned counsel prays that the present petition be allowed in the interest of justice. 3. Per contra, Mr. K. Sandeep, the learned Assistant Public Prosecutor vehemently opposed the grant of bail to the petitioner, submitting that the investigation is still underway and several material witnesses remain to be Dr.YLR,J Crl.P No.4624 of 2026 3 examined. It is contended that if the petitioner is released on bail at this stage, there is a strong likelihood that he may abscond, thereby hampering the ongoing investigation and evading the process of law. In view of the foregoing submissions, it is urged that the petition be dismissed. 4. Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner and the learned Assistant Public Prosecutor. Perused the record. 5. As seen from the record, the petitioner is aged 27 years, he is permanent resident of Chittoor. He has got a fixed abode. The petitioner himself has surrendered before the learned Trial Court on 05.05.2026 pursuant to the dismissal of his application for grant of pre-arrest bail by this Court in Criminal Petition No.641 of 2026 on 09.02.2026 and has been in judicial custody since 48 days. It is alleged that petitioner is the seller and transporter of two logs of red sanders weighing about 64 kgs. There are no similar adverse reports against the petitioner. Police custody was taken for about two days. Material portion of investigation is completed. Many of the witnesses examined are official witnesses. If the petitioner is enlarged on bail with stringent conditions, he may not venture to evade the process of law, threaten the witnesses, or tamper with the evidence. 6. Having regard to the facts and circumstances of the case, the nature and gravity of allegations levelled against the Petitioner/Accused No.1, this Court is inclined to enlarge the Petitioner/Accused No.1 on bail with some stringent conditions. Dr.YLR,J Crl.P No.4624 of 2026 4 7. In the result, the Criminal Petition is allowed with the following stringent conditions: i. The Petitioner/Accused No.1 shall be enlarged on bail subject to his executing a bond for a sum of Rs.25,000/- (Rupees Twenty Five Thousand only) with two sureties each for the like sum each to the satisfaction of the learned Judicial First Class – Cum – Special Court for Trial of cases relating to Red Sanders Smuggling, Tirupati. ii. The Petitioner/Accused No.1 shall appear before the Station House Officer concerned, on every Saturday in between 10:00 am and 05:00 pm, till filing of the charge sheet. iii. The Petitioner/Accused No.1 shall not leave the limits of the District without prior permission from the Station House Officer concerned. iv. The Petitioner/Accused No.1 shall not commit or indulge in commission of any offence in future. v. The Petitioner/Accused No.1 shall cooperate with the investigating officer in further investigation of the case and shall make himself available for interrogation by the Investigating Officer as and when required. Dr.YLR,J Crl.P No.4624 of 2026 5 vi. The Petitioner/Accused No.1 shall not, directly or indirectly, make any inducement, threat or promise to any person acquainted with the facts of the case so as to dissuade him/her from disclosing such facts to the Court. vii. The petitioner/Accused No.1 shall surrender his passport, if any, to the investigating officer. If he claims that he does not have passport, he shall submit an affidavit to that effect to the Investigating Officer. _________________________ DR. Y. LAKSHMANA RAO, J Date:23.06.2026 Ksj Dr.YLR,J Crl.P No.4624 of 2026 6 THE HONOURABLE DR JUSTICE Y. LAKSHMANA RAO CRIMINAL PETITION NO: 4624/2026 23rd June, 2026 Ksj