IN THE HIGH COURT OF ORISSA AT CUTTACK ABLAPL No.2987 of 2026 Sonu Gupta …. Petitioner(s) Mr. Rakesh Kumar Mallick, Advocate -versus- State of Odisha …. Opposite Party(s) Mr. Sobhan Panigrahi, ASC CORAM: JUSTICE SIBO SANKAR MISHRA Order No. ORDER 23.04.2026 01. 1. Heard. 2. The petitioner is seeking pre-arrest bail in connection with Angul Sadar P.S. Case No.513 of 2025 corresponding to G.R. Case No.1650 of 2025 registered on the allegation of the offences under Sections 303(2)/317(2)/3(5) of B.N.S., 2023 pending in the Court of the learned S.D.J.M., Angul. 3. Learned counsel for the petitioner, on instruction from the petitioner, submits that, except the present bail application, no other bail application of the petitioner is pending in any other Court relating to the aforesaid F.I.R. 4. The prosecution case, in brief, is that during routine patrolling, a truck bearing Registration No. OD- 09-C-4542 was intercepted and found loaded with iron scrap materials. Upon being asked to produce the relevant documents, the person present at the spot, who claimed to be the driver, fled away. It is further alleged that no valid documents could be produced in respect of the said consignment. Upon weighing, the net weight of the iron scrap was found to be 19,980 kilograms. It is also alleged that the driver, upon being questioned, disclosed that the truck had been loaded with the said materials at the instance and under the direction of the present petitioner. 5. Learned counsel for the petitioner by taking me to the Annexure-2 to the petition submits that learned Sessions Judge, Angul has already granted regular bail to the co-accused, Arun Singh and Sraban Patel. He further submits that the petitioner is not named in the F.I.R. 6. Mr. Panigrahi, learned Additional Standing Counsel for the State has drawn the attention of this Court regarding the antecedent of the petitioner. It appears that the petitioner has six antecedents. 7. Be that as it may, since the co-accused persons have already granted on regular bail, the petitioner is directed to surrender before the learned trial Court on or before 15th May, 2026 and move application for regular bail. If the petitioner surrenders and move application for bail, it is expected that the learned trial Court shall decide the application on the same day. It is also open for the petitioner to urge all the grounds as has been raised in the petition including the ground of parity. 8. With this observation, the ABLAPL is disposed of. (S.S. Mishra) Judge Swarna