( 2026:JHHC:1899 ) IN THE HIGH COURT OF JHARKHAND AT RANCHI A. B. A. No. 371 of 2026 Mahesh Mahto, aged about 38 years, son of Gobra Mahto, resident of village- Childag, P.O. and P.S. Angara, District-Ranchi ...... … Petitioner Versus The State of Jharkhand .…. … Opposite Party -------- CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SANJAY KUMAR DWIVEDI For the Petitioner :Mr. P.S. Dayal, Advocate For the State : Mr. Rakesh Kr. Sinha, A.P.P. 02/ 27.01.2026: Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and learned counsel for the State. 2. The petitioner is apprehending his arrest in connection with Complaint Case No. 33683 of 2025 registered under section 47(A) of the Excise Act, pending in the Court of learned Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Ranchi. 3. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that allegations are made of keeping 4200 kg jawa mahua and 105 liter of country made liquor. By way of referring seizure list, learned counsel for the petitioner submits that in the seizure list itself it has been stated that said jawa mahua has been destroyed on the spot. He next submits that petitioner has got no criminal antecedent which is disclosed in para 12 of the petition. 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 recovery has been made from the house of the petitioner. 5. Looking into contents of F.I.R, it transpires that statement has been made in the seizure list that said jawa mahua has been destroyed on the spot. There is no independent witness to the seizure list and petitioner has got no criminal antecedent which is disclosed in para 12 of the petition, I ( 2026:JHHC:1899 ) 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 Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Ranchi, in connection with Complaint Case No. 33683 of 2025, subject to conditions as laid down under Section 482 (2) of B.N.S.S, 2023. Dt.27.01.2026 ( Sanjay Kumar Dwivedi, J.) satyarthi-