RANCHI, India, April 9 -- Jharkhand High Court issued the following order on March 9:

1. The Office is directed to produce the statement of the victim recorded under Section 183 of the B.N.S.S. and place this case before this Court at 1:00 PM. Later on at 1:00 PM

2. The photocopy of the statement of the victim girl recorded under Section 183 of the B.N.S.S. is produced by the office in sealed cover.

3. This bail application has been filed under Sections 483 and 484 of the Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 wherein, prayer has been made for grant of bail as the petitioner is in custody for allegedly committing offence punishable under Section 96 of the B.N.S.

4. Heard, learned counsel for the petitioners, learned counsel for the State and perused the statement of the victim girl recorded under Section 183 of the B.N.S.S.

5. Learned A.P.P. opposes the prayer for bail.

6. It is alleged that the petitioner had enticed away the minor girl.

7. The minor girl has already been recovered. After going through the statement of the victim which has been produced by the office, I find that the age of the victim girl is 16 years and she has stated that there was some dispute going on between her neighbour and her landlord as a result of which, the victim was also targeted by one of the parties. On the next date, it is alleged that one Shahista Praveen @ Moon (not the petitioner), her father and brother had kidnapped her and confined her in a room. She further states that this petitioner was known to her and he was passing from the place when he saved the girl and the victim girl along with this petitioner went to Koderma and then to Dhanbad and Giridih. She never alleged any misbehavior or any sort of inappropriate action on the part of the petitioner. She categorically stated that the petitioner has not enticed her. She states only to save herself from her neighbours, she accompanied this petitioner.

9. The Fact remains that the statement of the victim has already been recorded.

10. Considering the aforesaid fact stated by the victim girl in her statement, I am inclined to grant bail to the petitioner. Accordingly, the petitioner, named above, is directed to be released on bail on furnishing bail bond of Rs.10,000/- (Rupees Ten Thousand) with two sureties of the like amount each to the satisfaction of the learned J.M. 1st Class, Hazaribag in connection with Katkamdag P.S. Case no. 167 of 2025 subject to the condition that one of the bailors should be a close relative of the petitioners having sufficient landed property in his/her own name within the State of Jharkhand.

11. The photocopy of the statement of the victim girl which has been produced before this Court by the Office be sealed and tagged with this record.

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