Supreme Court Denies Anticipatory Bail to Man Accused of Biting Off Neighbour's Ear in Ranchi Clash
The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused anticipatory bail to a man accused of biting off his neighbour's ear during a street clash, with the Bench asking how the damage could possibly be undone.
"You ate his ear, how do we replace it?" a Bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and K Vinod Chandran asked, dismissing the petition for pre-arrest protection. The matter had reached the top court as an appeal against a February 2026 order of the Jharkhand High Court, which had already refused anticipatory bail to Rajiv Ranjan Kumar in connection with a violent clash in Ranchi.
Kumar's counsel tried to present the incident as an ordinary neighbourhood dispute that got out of hand on a festive night. He said it was a long-simmering dispute between neighbours that flared up one night, with cross-FIRs registered by both sides. He added that the other side had managed to get anticipatory bail while his client was denied the same, and that the trouble began on the night of Janmashtami when people were celebrating and some stone pelting took place.
The Bench, however, focused on the injury. "You first took out a pistol, then held his ear and ate it. And you want anticipatory bail?" the Court remarked. When the counsel protested that the allegation about the firearm was fabricated, the Bench offered a quick concession before pressing harder on the remaining harm. "Okay, let the pistol be, what do we do about the ear? How do we replace it?" the Court said.
The counsel then claimed his client was actually the main victim of the tussle, saying he was pinned to the ground, his hands and legs were restrained, and his chest was bitten. When the Bench asked whether he was admitting there was a brawl, the counsel said yes and added that his client was willing to cooperate with the investigation.
The Bench was not persuaded by the argument of mutual combat and dismissed the petition. Kumar had been booked under several provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including Section 118, which deals with voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means, following an FIR registered at Argora police station in 2024. The Jharkhand High Court had earlier rejected his anticipatory bail plea, noting that police reports confirmed the victim suffered multiple grievous cut injuries to his head and face.
Source: Barandbench