Chhattisgarh HC Grants Bail To 3 Men Named In Co-Accused’s Statement In Alleged Transport Of 34 Buffaloes For Slaughter

The applicants were arrested in connection with Crime No. 110 of 2026, registered for alleged offences under Section 111(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS), Sections 4, 6 and 10 of the Chhattisgarh Agricultural Cattle Preservation Act, 2004, and Section 11(1)(d) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.

The prosecution alleged that, on 16 September 2026, police intercepted persons transporting 34 buffaloes through a forest route for slaughter; one accused was apprehended, while others fled. The applicants were subsequently implicated on the basis of the apprehended accused’s memorandum statement.

They sought regular bail, submitting that they were not present at the scene, had been implicated only through that statement, and were in custody without any need for further custodial interrogation.

The State opposed bail, citing similar criminal antecedents, but did not dispute the basis on which the applicants had been implicated.

The applications were considered under Section 483 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, which the Court invoked as the basis for granting regular bail.

In deciding whether to grant bail, the Court considered the facts and circumstances, the nature of the allegations, the parties’ submissions and the basis for the applicants’ implication.

The alleged offences were under Section 111(2) of the BNS, Sections 4, 6 and 10 of the Chhattisgarh Agricultural Cattle Preservation Act, 2004, and Section 11(1)(d) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.

The bail order also prescribed attendance and trial-participation conditions, including consequences under Sections 269 and 209 of the BNS and Section 84 of the BNSS.

No precedent was cited.

The Court noted that the applicants had been implicated on the basis of a co-accused’s memorandum statement, a circumstance the State did not dispute.

Having considered that circumstance alongside the nature of the allegations and the parties’ submissions, the Court found it appropriate to grant bail without expressing any opinion on the merits.

It addressed the need to secure the applicants’ participation in the proceedings by imposing conditions concerning attendance, adjournments and presence at specified trial stages.

The applicants were also required to comply with the stated conditions regarding attendance and participation in the trial.