Panna Lal Mahto @ Panna Lal Ganjhu @ Panna ... vs National Investigation Agency
2026 Latest Caselaw 2557 Jhar

Jharkhand High Court

Panna Lal Mahto @ Panna Lal Ganjhu @ Panna ... vs National Investigation Agency on 1 April, 2026

Author: Rongon Mukhopadhyay

Bench: Rongon Mukhopadhyay

           IN THE HIGH COURT OF JHARKHAND AT RANCHI
                Criminal Appeal (D.B.) No. 1550 of 2025
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Panna Lal Mahto @ Panna Lal Ganjhu @ Panna Lal & Another ... ... Appellant Versus National Investigation Agency ... ... Respondent

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CORAM : HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE RONGON MUKHOPADHYAY : HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE PRADEEP KUMAR SRIVASTAVA

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For the Appellant : Mr. Amlan Palit, Advocate For the Respondent-NIA : Mr. A. K. Das, Special P.P. For the State : Mr. Saket Kumar, A.P.P.

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6/01.04.2026 In course of argument, Mr. A. K. Das, learned Special P. P. for the NIA has pointedly referred to the evidence of P.W. 24 which finds place in the supplementary affidavit filed by him from which it appears that the appellant no. 1 - Panna Lal Mahto had threatened the said witness through a whatsapp call not to support the statement he had earlier given before the NIA. The learned Special P. P. for the NIA is not aware as to whether pursuant to the said evidence, any inquiry has been conducted or not with respect to the threatening which was given to P.W. 24 by the appellant no. 1.

It is common knowledge as we have seen in many cases that extortion rackets are being run by the convicted/accused persons threatening the witnesses from inside the jail premises and without the connivance of the jail authorities, it is impossible for the inmates of jail to get hold of mobile phones to carry on their nefarious activities from inside the jail.

We have asked Mr. Saket Kumar, learned A.P.P. for the State to appear in the present case and take instruction in view of the evidence of P.W. 24 in NIA Special Case No. 1 of 2020 (AHTU P. S. Case No. 7 of 2019), a copy of which has been supplied to him by Mr. A. K. Das, learned Special P. P. as to whether any inquiry has been conducted with

respect to the threat which has been given by the appellant no. 1 to P.W. 24 from inside the jail.

Let this case be listed tomorrow i.e., on 02.04.2026 under the same heading.

A copy of the order be handed over to Mr. Saket Kumar, A.P.P. Let the name of Mr. Saket Kumar, learned A.P.P. be reflected in the cause list.

(Rongon Mukhopadhyay, J.)

(Pradeep Kumar Srivastava, J.)

R. Shekhar Cp 2