No Meat Seized From Them: Chhattisgarh HC Grants Bail To 2 Accused In Alleged Chital Hunt

The applicants were arrested in connection with a Forest Department case alleging the illegal hunting of a Chital and offences under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.

Meat and other articles were allegedly seized from co-accused Kamleshu Patel, whose memorandum statement implicated the applicants and stated that the meat had been distributed among them.

No incriminating article was recovered from the applicants.

Two co-accused had been granted bail; Maniram had one theft-related antecedent, while Ganpat had none.

The applicants sought regular bail under Section 483 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.

The application was considered under Section 483 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, which empowers the High Court to grant bail.

In exercising that discretion, the Court considered the nature and gravity of the alleged offences, the material linking the applicants to the alleged conduct, the circumstances of co-accused who had obtained bail, and the applicants’ criminal antecedents.

The alleged offences were under Sections 2(16), 9, 39(1), 39(3), 44, 50, 51(1), 51(2) and 52 of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.

No precedent was cited.

The Court found that the alleged meat and other articles had been seized from a co-accused, not the applicants, and that the applicants’ implication rested primarily on that co-accused’s memorandum statement.

It also considered that two co-accused had already been granted bail on similar allegations.

Although Maniram had one criminal antecedent, Ganpat had none; on the overall circumstances, the Court concluded that both applicants were entitled to bail, without expressing any view on the merits.

It directed that the applicants be released upon executing personal bonds of ₹50,000 each with one surety each in the like amount, to the satisfaction of the trial Court.

They must not intimidate or influence persons acquainted with the case facts, must not prejudice a fair and expeditious trial, and must attend each trial-court hearing until disposal of the case.