Anticipatory bail granted to young applicant without criminal antecedents for simple injuries in minor scuffle.

The applicant, Satendra Namdev (19), a laborer, sought anticipatory bail following an FIR registered at Police Station Kundam (Crime No. 114/2026).

The complainant alleged that on April 5, 2026, the applicant intercepted him and his friends, demanded Rs. 200 for liquor, and upon refusal, assaulted them with a wooden stick wrapped in barbed iron wire.

Medical reports indicated that the victims sustained simple injuries (abrasions).

The applicant contended he was falsely implicated following a minor scuffle between youths.

1. Whether the applicant is entitled to the protection of anticipatory bail under Section 482 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, considering the nature of the injuries and his lack of criminal antecedents.

The Court applied Section 482 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023 (formerly Section 438 of the CrPC), governing the grant of bail to persons apprehending arrest.

The applicant was charged under Sections 296(a) (Obscene acts), 115(2) (Voluntarily causing hurt), 119(1) (Hurt by dangerous weapons), and 351(2) (Criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.

The court relied on principles of liberty, the socio-economic status of the accused, and the necessity of custodial interrogation as established in prevailing bail jurisprudence.

The Court observed that the injuries sustained by the victims were classified by the Medical Officer as "simple in nature" consisting of small abrasions.

It noted that the applicant is a 19-year-old laborer with no prior criminal record, making him unlikely to flee from justice or tamper with evidence.

The Court reasoned that since the veracity of the prosecution's claims is subject to trial and the applicant agreed to cooperate with the investigation, custodial interrogation was not necessary.

It further highlighted that incarceration on potentially false accusations would cause undue hardship and social disrepute to a young person.

It held that the applicant be released on anticipatory bail in the event of arrest upon furnishing a personal bond of Rs. 50,000 with one solvent surety subject to conditions including: appearing for investigation as directed, refraining from committing similar offences, and not tampering with evidence or threatening witnesses.

This protection remains effective until the conclusion of the trial.