Kumari Soni @ Soni Kumari v. The State Of Bihar

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA

CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.32043 of 2026 Arising Out of PS. Case No.-396 Year-2025 Thana- MANJHI District- Saran ====================================================== Kumari Soni @ Soni Kumari D/o Dharmnath Singh R/o Vill. - Bhajauna, P.S. -Manjhi, Dist. - Saran.

... ... Petitioner/s

Versus

1.

The State of Bihar 2.

The Vigilance Investigation Bureau, Patna. PATNA ... ... Opposite Party/s ====================================================== Appearance :

For the Petitioner/s :

Mr. Deepak Kumar, Adv.

For the Opposite Party/s :

Mr. Ajay Mishra, APP ====================================================== CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE ALOK KUMAR SINHA ORAL ORDER 13-05-2026 Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and learned APP for the State.

2. The petitioner apprehends her arrest in connection with Manjhi PS Case No.396 of 2025 registered for the offence under Sections 420, 467, 468, 471, 120(B) of the Indian Penal Code.

3. Prosecution case, in short, is that pursuant to order passed by the Hon'ble High Court, Patna in CWJC No.-15459 of 2014, educational certificate of teachers are being examined and the informant was posted to examine the educations certificate of teachers of Saran district. It is said that from the documents provided by District Program Officer (Establishment), Saran, it was found that Kumari Soni was employed as teacher in the year 2006 and presently she is posted at Primary School,

2/4 Shrirampur. It further appears that her appointment was made on trained teacher in which her matric, intermediate and teacher training marks were counted in the merit list.

4. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that petitioner is innocent and has committed no offence and she has falsely been implicated in this case. Learned counsel appearing on behalf of the petitioner submits that petitioner is a lady of clean antecedent and till date no departmental proceeding was initiated against her. Learned counsel for the petitioner next submits that one Nilam Kumari was granted privilege of anticipatory bail vide order dated 24.02.2026 passed in Cr. Misc. No.10729 of 2026 and in another case bearing the same allegation, arising out of Daudpur P.S. Case No.267 of 2025 one Ranjana Kumari has also been granted privilege of anticipatory bail vide order dated 29.04.2026 passed in Cr. Misc. No.14863 of 2026.

5. The learned APP opposes the anticipatory bail application.

6. In paragraph-17 of the application, it has been categorically stated by the petitioner that till date neither any departmental proceeding has been initiated by Appointing Authority against the petitioner on the ground of having taken

3/4 employment on the basis of fake certificate nor any coercive steps has been taken against the petitioner by the Department. On the same allegation another FIR was lodged bearing Rasulpur P.S. Case No.181 of 2025 in which the accused Nilam Kumari was granted privilege of anticipatory bail vide order dated 24.02.2026 passed in Cr. Misc. No.10729 of 2026. In another case bearing the same allegation, arising out of Daudpur P.S. Case No.267 of 2025 the accused persons Ranjana Kumari has also been granted privilege of anticipatory bail vide order dated 29.04.2026 passed in Cr. Misc. No.14863 of 2026. Under these circumstances, there is no reason why this Court should take a different view in the present matter and particularly considering that till date no departmental proceeding has been initiated against the petitioner, this Court is inclined to grant privilege of anticipatory bail to the petitioner.

7. Accordingly, the petitioner above named, in the event of her arrest or surrender before the learned Court below within a period of six weeks, is directed to be released on anticipatory bail on her furnishing bail-bonds in the sum of Rs.10,000/-(Rupees Ten Thousand) with two sureties of the like amount each to the satisfaction of the learned Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, IV, Saran at Chapra in connection with

4/4 Manjhi PS Case No.396 of 2025, subject to the conditions laid down under Section 482(2) of the Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and with following conditions:

(i) the petitioner shall co-operate in the investigation/trial.

(ii) the learned Court would, however, verify the criminal antecedent of the petitioner and in case it is found that the petitioner has concealed his criminal antecedent, the Court below shall take step for cancellation of bail bond of the petitioner. However, it is expected that the verification process would be done expeditiously without causing any delay. (Alok Kumar Sinha, J) Prakash Narayan U T