2026:JHHC:21955 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JHARKHAND AT RANCHI A.B.A. No. 4048 of 2026 ------ 1. Jagarnath Munda, aged about 30 years, son of Lakhan Munda 2. Sukhram Munda, aged about 25 years, son of Late Bishwanath Munda @ Koka Munda 3. Francsis Naag @ Pankaj Nag, aged about 31 years, son of Ignes Naag All residents of Village Aanjan, P.O. and P.S. Chouparan, District Hazaribagh .... .... …. Petitioners Versus The State of Jharkhand .... .... .... Opposite Party CORAM : HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SANJAY KUMAR DWIVEDI For the Petitioners : Ms. Anshu Kumari, Advocate Mr. Shashikant Jaiswal, Advocate Ms. Kumari Pushpa Rani, Advocate For the State : Mr. Bhola Nath Ojha, A.P.P. ------ 02/24.07.2026 Heard learned counsel for the petitioners and learned counsel for the State. 2. The petitioners are apprehending their arrest in connection with Chouparan P.S. Case No.27 of 2026, registered for the offence under Sections 17(c) and 18(b) of the N.D.P.S. Act, pending in the court of learned Sessions Judge-cum-Special Judge, N.D.P.S. Act, Hazaribagh.

3. Learned counsel appearing for the petitioners submits that the petitioners have been falsely implicated in the case alleging that the petitioners were indulged in cultivation of poppy plants on the forest land. She further submits that the petitioners are the innocent villagers and they are having no criminal antecedent as disclosed in para 14 of the petition. She next submits that three of the co-accused persons have already been granted anticipatory bail by this court in A.B.A. No.3671 of 2026. 4. Learned counsel appearing for the State opposes the prayer and submits that the allegations are there of cultivation of poppy plants on the forest land. 5. Considering that the land is of the Forest Department and that is not belonging to the petitioners and the petitioners are said to be the villagers and having no criminal antecedent as disclosed in para 14 of the petition and three of the co-accused persons have already been granted 2026:JHHC:21955 anticipatory bail by this court in the aforesaid A.B.A., in the attending facts and circumstances, I am inclined to grant anticipatory bail to the petitioners.

6. Accordingly, the above-named petitioners are directed to surrender before the learned court within two weeks from today and in the event of their arrest or surrender, they shall be enlarged on bail on furnishing bail bond of Rs.25,000/- (Twenty Five Thousand) each with two sureties of the like amount each to the satisfaction of learned Sessions Judge-cum-Special Judge, N.D.P.S. Act, Hazaribagh, in connection with Chouparan P.S. Case No. 27 of 2026, subject to the conditions as laid down under Section 482(2) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023. (Sanjay Kumar Dwivedi, J.) Dated 24.07.2026 Anit Uploaded 28.07.2026