Jharkhand High Court Grants Anticipatory Bail To Garhwa Shop Owner In Duplicate Castrol Oil Case

The Jharkhand High Court on 12 May reiterated that anticipatory bail may be granted where the circumstances and record justify protection from arrest, while considering an application arising from allegations of stocking duplicate motor oil.

Justice Sanjay Kumar Dwivedi granted anticipatory bail to Ravindra Kumar Kashyap, an automobile shop owner from Garhwa, who had been booked under Sections 318(4) and 349 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, along with Sections 63 and 65 of the Copyright Act, 1957. He observed:

“In the attending facts and circumstances of the case, I am inclined to grant anticipatory bail to the petitioner.”

The petitioner submitted that he ran an automobile shop and had purchased the motor oil from a dealer in the ordinary course of business. He maintained that he had no intent to deceive and asserted that he had no prior criminal antecedents. The State opposed the plea, contending that the recovery of counterfeit Castrol motor oil from the petitioner's shop supported the allegations and warranted denial of bail.

The Court held that the circumstances did not justify custodial interrogation and found the petitioner entitled to the protection of anticipatory bail. It directed the petitioner to surrender before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Garhwa, within three weeks.

Upon surrender, the Bench ordered his release on a bail bond of Rs. 25,000, along with two sureties of the like amount, subject to conditions under Section 482(2) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.