Telangana HC: anticipatory bail refused to accused who allegedly struck victim's head with iron rod, granted to two co-accused
The question: Should anticipatory bail be granted to all three accused in an assault arising from a land dispute?
The Telangana High Court has partly allowed a petition for anticipatory bail in a land-dispute assault case, refusing it to the accused who allegedly struck the victim on the head with an iron rod and granting it to two co-accused whose custody was not shown to be necessary. Justice N. Tukaramji held that an anticipatory bail petition is not a mini-trial and that parity cannot be applied mechanically merely because the accused are implicated in the same occurrence. The petitioners, Arikala Kumar and two others, are accused Nos. 1 to 3 in Crime No. 204 of 2026 of Havelighanpur Police Station, Medak District, for offences under Sections 118(1), 115(2), 126(2) and 352 read with 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. They sought pre-arrest bail under Section 482 BNSS. According to the prosecution, on 28 August 2026 at about 8 PM, against the backdrop of a land dispute, they wrongfully restrained the de facto complainant's father on his motorcycle and abused him. Accused No. 1 allegedly hit him on the head with an iron rod and accused No. 2 beat him with a stick, causing bleeding injuries. When the mother intervened, accused No. 1 allegedly hit her with the same rod and accused No. 2 also beat her.