DEEPAK KUMAR TALA Vs. STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Leave granted.

(2.) This appeal arises out of the order dtd. 18/11/2024 passed by the High Court in Criminal Appeal No. 675/2024, dismissing the appeal against rejection of the appellant's application for anticipatory bail by Trial Court order dtd. 24/8/2024.

(3.) Briefly stated, the allegations in the FIR are as follows: Respondent no. 3 (complainant) belongs to a Scheduled Caste. The appellant set up a Trust for development of a temple along with respondent no. 3 and others, but forced him to transfer certain lands. Upon refusal, the appellant threatened to kill him, abused him by a caste slur, and asked him to stop reciting prayers. That on 18/4/2024, respondent no. 3 was abducted by various persons and taken to different locations where he was kept locked up for several days. On 29/4/2024, some accused persons took him to a petrol station and threatened him to transfer the temple's lands in the appellant's name or that they would kill him. Upon refusing, they beat respondent no. 3 with their hands and threatened him with small knives, which led him to agree to transfer the lands out of fear. Meanwhile, respondent no. 3 was rescued by the police and four accused persons were arrested.