The Supreme Court on Thursday strongly rebuked two men accused of coercing a person at gunpoint to execute a fraudulent land sale deed in Patna, Bihar, dismissing their anticipatory bail pleas with scathing remarks.
“Your clients seem to be goons. It is not even a case for grant of regular bail,” observed a bench comprising Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan while hearing the plea filed by the accused, Lalit Mohan Rai and Lalit Rai.
The apex court was dealing with a special leave petition challenging a May 2, 2025 order of the Patna High Court, which had refused to grant them pre-arrest bail in a land fraud case involving roughly 60 khata of land.
According to the prosecution, the accused, residents of Kanhauli village in Patna district, allegedly forced a man at gunpoint to the Patna registry office on October 30, 2023, and compelled him to execute a sale deed in their favour.
The victim later filed a First Information Report (FIR) at Gandhi Maidan police station on November 26, 2023, detailing the alleged coercion and fraudulent transfer.
When the defence counsel tried to argue for parity with a co-accused who was granted bail by the High Court, Justice Pardiwala retorted, “Please don’t spoil the environment of the court in the morning hours.”
The Supreme Court’s sharp observations and outright rejection of bail underscore the gravity of the allegations, sending a strong signal against land-related criminal intimidation and fraud.
