S Rangan v. The State Represented by the Inspector of Police

ORDER The petitioner, who apprehends arrest in the hands of the respondent police for the offences punishable under Sections 4(1)(A), 4(1)(C) of Tamil Nadu Prohibition (Amendment) Act, 2024, in connection with Cr.No.68 of 2026, seeks anticipatory bail. The case of the prosecution is that the respondent police, were on regular patrol duty, on 06.04.2026 at about 3.00 p.m. near Thumperi Village, and at that time the petitioner along with other accused, on seeing the police, tried to escape from the place and on enquiry and search, the respondent police recovered 750 TASMAC liquor bottles. Hence, a case was registered in Cr.No.68/2026 for the alleged offences under Sections 4(1)(A), 4(1)(C) of Tamil Nadu Prohibition (Amendment) Act, 2024. The learned counsel for the petitioner would submit that the petitioner is an innocent person and based on the confession statement of co-accused, he was falsely implicated in this case. Further he would submit that the co-accused were granted bail. Hence, the learned counsel seeks anticipatory bail to the petitioner. The learned Government Advocate (Crl.Side) appearing for the respondent would submit that the petitioner has been arrayed as A1 and there are 23 previous cases pending against the petitioner and in this case co-accused were already released on bail. Hence he opposed to grant anticipatory bail to the petitioner. Heard both sides and perused the materials available on record. Considering the nature of the offence and even though there are some cases pending against the petitioner, in all the cases bail was granted to him and none of the cases are similar in nature and considering the quantity of Government liquor bottles involved in this case and the fact that already the co-accused were granted bail, I am inclined to grant anticipatory bail to the petitioner subject to the following conditions. Accordingly, the petitioner is ordered to be released on bail in the event of arrest or on his appearance, within a period of fifteen days from the date on which the order copy made ready, before the Judicial Magistrate, Vaniyambadi at Thirupathur District, on condition that the petitioner shall execute a bond for a sum of Rs.10,000/- (Rupees Ten Thousand only) with two sureties each for a like sum to the satisfaction of the learned Magistrate concerned and on further condition that: [a] the petitioner shall report before the respondent-police daily at 10.30 a.m. for a period of 30 days. [b] the petitioner shall not, directly or indirectly, make any inducement, threat or promise to any person acquainted with the facts of the case so as to dissuade him from disclosing such facts to the Court or to any police officer; [c] the petitioner shall not leave India without the previous permission of the Court; [d] the petitioner shall not abscond either during investigation or trial. [e] On breach of any of the aforesaid conditions, the learned Magistrate/Trial Court is entitled to take appropriate action against the petitioner in accordance with law as if the conditions have been imposed and the petitioner released on bail by the learned Magistrate/Trial Court himself as laid down by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in P.K.Shaji vs. State of Kerala [(2005)AIR SCW 5560]. [f] If the accused thereafter abscond, a fresh FIR can be registered under Section 269 B.N.S.2023.

14.05.2026 cgi Note:-

¶1Registry is directed to forthwith upload this order in the official website of this Court.

¶2All concerned to act on this order being uploaded in official website of this Court without insisting on certified hard copies. To be noted, this order when uploaded in official website of this Court will be watermarked and will also have a QR code. To

¶1The Inspector of Police, Ambalur Police Station, Tirupathur District.

¶2The Judicial Magistrate, Vaniyambadi at Thirupathur District.

¶3The Public Prosecutor, Madras High Court. P.DHANABAL, J.,

cgi

¶06CRL.O.P.No.12885 of 2026

14.05.2026

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS Dated : 14.05.2026 CORAM THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE.P.DHANABAL CRL.O.P.No.12885 of 2026 S.Rangan S/o.Saminadhan ..Petitioner Vs The State represented by: The Inspector of Police, Ambalur Police Station, Tirupathur District. (Crime No.68 of 2026) .... Respondent PRAYER : Criminal Original Petition filed under Section 482 of B.N.S.S., to enlarge the petitioner on bail in the event of his arrest in Crime No.68 of 2026 pending investigation on the file of the respondent police. For Petitioner : Mr.S.Siddharth For Respondent : Mr.S.Balaji Government Advocate (Crl.Side) *****