Anticipatory bail was warranted given the property dispute and three-month delay in the complainant’s report.

The applicants sought anticipatory bail in Crime No. 606/2026, registered at Police Station Janjgir for alleged offences under Sections 115(2), 238, 296, 3(5), 309, 324(5), 326(f) and 351(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

The complainant alleged that the applicants took and burned crops on ancestral land, threatened and assaulted him, and snatched his mobile phone

The applicants relied on a property dispute and stated that Applicant No. 2 had reported the incident to police on 19 May 2026, while the complainant lodged his report on 14 August 2026.

The State opposed bail, relying on a witness’s account of the incident, including an allegation that some applicants pointed a pistol-like object at the complainant

1. Whether the applicants should be granted anticipatory bail in connection with Crime No. 606/2026, having regard to the allegations and the circumstances relied on by the parties

2. If anticipatory bail is granted, what conditions should govern the applicants’ release

Section 482 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 provides for a direction for grant of bail to a person apprehending arrest.

The Court considered the nature of the allegations and the circumstances of the case in deciding whether to grant that relief

The order cites no precedent or further legal test

The Court considered the competing accounts, the property dispute between the complainant and Applicant No. 2, and the timing of the reports.

It noted that Applicant No. 2 had lodged a report on the day of the incident, whereas the complainant’s report was made approximately three months later.

On those circumstances, and without expressing any view on the merits, the Court found it appropriate to grant anticipatory bail despite the State’s reliance on the witness’s account

The applicants must cooperate with interrogation, refrain from influencing persons acquainted with the facts or prejudicing a fair trial, and appear before the trial court on each date fixed until disposal of the trial

The Registry was directed to send a certified copy of the order to the trial court.