SC suspends jail sentence, grants bail to ex-Jharkhand minister Anosh Ekka

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday suspended the seven-year imprisonment awarded to former Jharkhand minister Anosh Ekka and granted him bail in an alleged land acquisition case involving violation of Chota Nagpur Tenancy (CNT) Act.The top court, however, asked him to provide a formal undertaking to assist in the restoration of tribal lands to their original status.The apex court was hearing Ekka's appeal against the Jharkhand High Court's December 2025 order, which dismissed his challenge to a trial court's verdict of sentence, saying that prima facie no case for suspension of sentence was made out.On August 30, 2025, a CBI court in Ranchi had sentenced the former minister to seven years of rigorous imprisonment for offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act.A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta said that two split chargesheets had been filed against Ekka in a 2008 case, stating that Ekka and another former minister had acquired assets disproportionate to their known sources of income.It said, "In the previous (disproportionate assets) case, the appellant (Ekka) had remained in custody for more than four years, whereafter, this court (in April 2023) suspended the sentences awarded to the appellant and released him on bail."

Noting Ekka's submissions that two separate prosecutions were impermissible as the allegations in both cases overlapped, the bench said the aspect would have to be gone into by the high court while deciding the pending appeals."However, the fact remains that the appellant has undergone custodial incarceration of more than 10 months in the present case as well.""The sentence awarded to the appellant in the other case involving allegations of acquisition of disproportionate assets, having been suspended by this court (on April 23, 2023), we are inclined to grant bail to the appellant in the present case also," the bench said.Suspending the substantive imprisonment awarded by the trial court, the bench released Ekka on bail, on the condition that he file an undertaking before the trial court within seven days stating that he would assist in the process of restoration of the tribal land to its original status."The release of the appellant on bail shall further be subject to such other terms and conditions as the trial court may deem fit to impose, and upon furnishing bail bonds and sureties to its satisfaction," the bench said.The case stems from a case registered by the state police's vigilance bureau in 2008 and later handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation following a high court order.The prosecution alleged that while serving as a minister, Ekka amassed assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.According to the CBI, Ekka and others forged addresses to illegally acquire tribal land in Ranchi district, bypassing provisions of the CNT Act meant to protect the rights of Scheduled Tribes.