2026:CGHC:7865 NAFR HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR MCRC No. 1531 of 2026 Pawan Jaiswal S/o Shri Shankar Lal Jaiswal Aged About 40 Years R/o B-3, Kushabhau Thakre Apartment Phase Number New Rajendra Near Kali Mandir, Amlidih, Raipur Chhattisgarh ... Applicant versus State of Chhattisgarh Through Station House Officer, Police Station Tikrapara Raipur, District Raipur (C.G.)

... Non-Applicant For Applicant : Ms. Khushbu Sahu, Advocate.

For Non-Applicant/State : Mr. Priyank Rathi, Panel Lawyer.

Hon'ble Mr. Ramesh Sinha, Chief Justice Digitally signed by PREETI Order on Board PREETI KUMARI KUMARI Date:

2026.02.13 12.02.2026

11:13:04 +0530

1. This is the first bail application filed under Section 483 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (for short ‘BNSS’) for grant of regular bail to the applicant who has been arrested in connection with Crime No. 229/2025 registered at Police Station Tikrapara, Raipur District Raipur (C.G.) for the offence punishable under Sections 317(2), 317(4), 317(5), 111 of BNS.

2. The case of the prosecution, in a nutshell, is that information was received through the Cyber Crime Reporting Portal that Rs.4,48,51,386/- had been transferred to the accounts of the accused persons in Ratnakar Bank Ltd., Branch Raipur, and were being used to receive proceeds of cyber fraud. Acting on directions from the Police Headquarters, a report regarding the incident was forwarded to Police Station Civil Lines, Raipur, where an FIR was registered against all 17 account holders, including the present applicant, for commission of the aforesaid offence punishable under Sections 317(2), 317(4), 317(5), 111 of B.N.S. Hence, this application

3. Learned counsel for the applicant submits that the applicant has not committed any offence and he has been falsely implicated in offence in question. He further submits that identically situated co-accused persons, namely, Vikas Madhwani, Jitendra Bagh, Priya Sori and Bhavika Harchandani have already been granted bail by the Hon’ble Supreme Court vide common order dated 18.12.2025 in Criminal Appeal No. 5615/2025 arising out of SLP (Crl.) No. 16298/2025, Criminal Appeal No. 5616/2025 arising out of SLP (Crl.) No. 17964/2025, Criminal Appeal No. 5617/2025 arising out of SLP (Crl.) No. 19330/2025 and Criminal Appeal No. 5618/2025 arising out of SLP (Crl.) No. 19243/2025, respectively. The applicant is in jail since 26.03.2025, the applicant has no criminal antecedent, charge-sheet has been filed and the trial is likely to take some time for its conclusion. Therefore, he prays for grant of bail to the applicant.

4. On the other hand, learned State Counsel opposes the bail application and submits that the charge-sheet has been filed in the present case. He further submits that the applicant is alleged to be one of the holders of a bank account identified as a “mule account,” which was used for receiving and transferring money obtained through cyber fraud, thereby facilitating the commission of cyber offences. Therefore, present applicant is not entitled for grant of bail.

5. I have heard learned counsel appearing for the parties and perused the case diary.

6. Taking into consideration the facts and circumstances of the case, nature and gravity of offence, period of detention of the applicant since 26.03.2025, the fact that though the applicant is alleged to be one of the holders of a bank account identified as a “mule account,” which was used for receiving and transferring money obtained through cyber fraud, thereby facilitating the commission of cyber offences, but considering the fact that identically situated co-accused persons, namely, Vikas Madhwani, Jitendra Bagh, Priya Sori and Bhavika Harchandani have already been granted bail by the Hon’ble Supreme Court vide common order dated 18.12.2025 in Criminal Appeal No. 5615/2025 arising out of SLP (Crl.) No. 16298/2025, Criminal Appeal No. 5616/2025 arising out of SLP (Crl.) No. 17964/2025, Criminal Appeal No. 5617/2025 arising out of