Manju Devi v. The State Of Bihar

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA

CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.2865 of 2025 Arising Out of PS. Case No.-368 Year-2024 Thana- KUCHAIKOTE District- Gopalganj ====================================================== Manju Devi Son of Ramnagina Singh Resident of Vill- Rampur, P.S.- Kuchaikot, District- Gopalganj ... ... Petitioner/s

Versus

The State of Bihar Patna ... ... Opposite Party/s ====================================================== Appearance :

For the Petitioner/s :

Mr.Dimpal Kumari,Adv For the Opposite Party/s :

Mr.Ganesh Prasad Singh, APP ====================================================== CORAM: HONOURABLE JUSTICE SMT. SONI SHRIVASTAVA ORAL ORDER 04-08-2025 Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and learned APP for the State.

2. Petitioner apprehends his arrest in a case registered for the offences punishable under section 87,96 of BNS.

3. By the previous order dated 24.07.2025, this Court had directed the investigating officer of this case to appear in person to explain as to what steps have been taken to recovery of the victim girl.

4. Today, the I.O is appearing in person along with the case diary and has submitted that despite the best efforts made by the Investigating Agency, no tress of the victim girl has been found. The I.O has also tried to find out from the family of the co-accused Sachin Patel with regard to missing of the victim girl but no information would be elicited.

Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.2865 of 2025(6) dt.04-08-2025 2/3

5. The allegation in the FIR is that the daughter of the informant aged about 20 years was working in the house of the petitioner and since she did not come back home, a suspicion was raised that the petitioner had sold her of to one Sachin Patel.

6. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits at the outset that it would be apparent from the FIR itself that the victim girl was working in the house of the petitioner since long and the petitioner was an old lady aged about 62 years according to the FIR but actually she is about 75 years of age. The FIR also demonstrates that the informant got to know from heard of mouth from 20.08.2024 about the petitioner's involvement but the present FIR came to be lodged on 30.08.2024 that is after lapse of ten days without any plausible explanation for the same. It has also been submitted that the petitioner belongs to a reputed family, who would not indulged in an act like the present one and she has no criminal antecedent.

7. The learned APP however opposes the prayer for bail on the ground that the victim has still not traced out.

8. Considering all the above mentioned facts and circumstances, let the petitioner, in the event of his arrest/

Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.2865 of 2025(6) dt.04-08-2025 3/3 surrender within a period of four weeks from today, be released on bail on furnishing bail bonds of Rs 10,000/- (ten thousand) with two sureties of the like amount each to the satisfaction of the learned court below where the case is pending/ successor court in Kuchaikot P.S Case no. 368 of 2024, subject to condition as laid down under section 438(2) of the Cr.PC.

9. However, the informant would co-operate with the Investigating Agency in tressing out the victim girl and in case, it is found that no co-operation is being extended on behalf of the petitioner, the prosecution would be free to file an application for cancellation of bail before the court concerned.

10. Appearance of I.O is dispensed with.

(Soni Shrivastava, J) N.K/- U T