p. 1 IN THE HIGH COURT OF ORISSA AT CUTTACK ABLAPL No.3143 of 2026 Bimal Puntia @ Bimal Kumar Puntia @ Tiki …. Petitioner(s) Mr. Dibyajyoti Sahoo, Advocate -versus- State of Odisha …. Opposite Party(s) Ms. Suvalaxmi Devi, ASC CORAM: JUSTICE SIBO SANKAR MISHRA Order No. ORDER 24.04.2026 01. 1. Heard. 2. The petitioner is seeking pre-arrest bail in connection with 2(a)C.C. Case No.167 of 2026 corresponding to P.R. No.284 of 2025-2026 registered for the alleged commission of the offences punishable under Sections 52(a)(i) of Odisha Excise Act, pending in the Court of the learned S.D.J.M., Bhadrak. 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. p. 2 4. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the petitioner has three criminal antecedents. 5. Regard being had to the aforementioned submission made by learned counsel for the petitioner, nature of allegation against the petitioner and the criminal antecedents against him, though I am not inclined to grant anticipatory bail to the petitioner however, the petitioner is at liberty surrender before the trial Court on or before 20.05.2026 and resort to the remedy available to him under law by moving regular bail application. If such bail application is moved by the petitioner, the same shall be considered by the Courts below on its merit in accordance with law on the same day. 6. With the aforementioned observation, the ABLAPL is disposed of. (S.S. Mishra) Judge Subhasis Designation: Personal Assistant Location: High Court of Orissa, Cuttack.