Delhi HC denies anticipatory bail to man accused of posing as civil servant, Patna HC judge

New Delhi, Aug 7 (IANS) The Delhi High Court has refused anticipatory bail to a man accused of repeatedly impersonating senior constitutional and government functionaries, including allegedly posing as a civil servant and a judge of the Patna High Court to obtain sensitive confidential information from authorities. The court also questioned the failure of Delhi Police to arrest the accused.

A single-judge Bench of Justice Girish Kathpalia, while dismissing the anticipatory bail plea of Manoj Kumar Jha, also expressed surprise over the failure of Delhi Police to arrest the accused despite repeated rejection of his bail pleas, including by the Supreme Court, and directed that a copy of the order be sent to the Deputy Commissioner of Police concerned for “necessary action”.

The Delhi High Court observed that the accused appeared to be a “habitual offender” and said that there was no change in circumstances after the Supreme Court had earlier declined to grant him anticipatory bail.

The case arose out of an FIR registered in 2024 at Parliament Street police station under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

According to the prosecution, the accused impersonated a civil servant and attempted to obtain sensitive confidential information from various senior authorities.

He was also accused of impersonating a judge of the Patna High Court. The accused’s counsel argued that despite dismissal of his anticipatory bail applications in 2024 and 2025, followed by rejection of his Special Leave Petition (SLP) by the Supreme Court on September 8, 2025, the investigating agency had not arrested him, indicating that custodial interrogation was not required.

However, during the hearing, the Additional Public Prosecutor, in the presence of the investigating officer, expressed concern that despite the apex court declining anticipatory bail, no action had been taken to arrest the accused.

In its order, the Delhi High Court recorded that the accused was involved in multiple criminal cases registered across several states, including allegations of impersonating a Patna High Court judge in Gurugram and cheating a person of Rs 80 lakh by allegedly posing as the Chairman of the National Highways Authority of India in a CBI case.

It also took note of several other FIRs registered in Haryana, Bihar, Punjab and Chandigarh involving allegations of cheating, impersonation, forgery and related offences.

Referring to his criminal antecedents, Justice Kathpalia observed, “Apart from the nature of allegations, coupled with the fact that the accused/applicant is a habitual offender, I am also governed by strict judicial discipline.”

The order added that the Supreme Court had already found it unfit to grant anticipatory bail and that there had been no change in circumstances thereafter.

“Considering the above circumstances, I do not find it a fit case to grant anticipatory bail,” Justice Kathpalia said.

At the same time, the Delhi High Court questioned the conduct of the local police in not arresting the accused despite repeated rejection of his anticipatory bail pleas.

“I am also surprised by the fact that despite dismissal of repeated anticipatory bail applications till Hon’ble Supreme Court, the local police appear to have taken no steps at all to arrest the accused/applicant, which conveys an impression that accused/applicant is being helped and there is something more that meets the eye,” the judge observed.

Justice Kathpalia directed that a copy of the order be forwarded to the concerned Deputy Commissioner of Police through the Senior Standing Counsel “for information and necessary action.”

–IANS

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