2026:CGHC:2166-DB Digitally signed by ALOK ALOK SHARMA NAFR SHARMA Date:

2026.01.29

17:01:20 +0530 HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR CRA No. 1495 of 2025

1 - Ramadhar Baghel S/o Battu Lal Baghel Aged About 38 Years R/o Telikot, Police Station Kharsia, District- Raigarh (C.G.) (Accused No. 2)

--- Appellant(s)

versus

1 - State Of Chhattisgarh Through Station Officer Police Police Station Dabhara, District - Sakti (C.G.)

--- Respondent(s)

CRA No. 534 of 2018

1 - Rajesh Khunte (Wrongly Mentioned As Rajesh Khonte) S/o Rikhiram Aged About 46 Years R/o Aurda, Police Station Kharsia District Raigarh Chhattisgarh, District : Raigarh, Chhattisgarh ---Appellant(s)

Versus

1 - State Of Chhattisgarh Through The Station House Officer, Police Station Dabhara, District Janjgir Champa Chhattisgarh, District :

Janjgir-Champa, Chhattisgarh --- Respondent(s)

CRA No. 1508 of 2025

1 - Ravi Baghel S/o Gayaram Baghel, Aged About 35 Years R/o Talikot, P.S. - Kharsiya, District - Raigarh (C.G.)

---Appellant(s)

Versus

1 - State Of Chhattisgarh Through Police Station - Dabhara, District-

Sakti (C.G.)

--- Respondent(s)

For Appellant(s) : Mr. Saurabh Dandi, Advocate in CRA No. 1495/2025.

Mr. Kamlesh Kumar Pandey, Advocate in CRA No. 534/2018.

Ms. Vidhi Maltani, Advocate in CRA No.

1508/2025.

For Respondent/State : Mr. Shaleen Singh Baghel, Govt.

Advocate.

For Complainant/Objector : Mr. Avinash K. Mishra, Advocate Hon'ble Shri Ramesh Sinha, Chief Justice Hon'ble Shri Ravindra Kumar Agrawal, Judge

Order on Board

Per Ravindra Kumar Agrawal, J.

14/01/2026

1. All three criminal appeals arise out of the same crime number and the same incident; therefore, they are being heard and decided together, although the Sessions Trial numbers are different.

2. The Criminal Appeal No. 534 of 2018, filed by the appellant/accused Rajesh Khunte, against the impugned judgment of conviction and sentence dated 12-03-2018, passed by learned First Additional Sessions Judge, Sakti, District Janjgir- Champa, in Sessions Case No. 98 of 2014, whereby the appellant has been convicted and sentenced in the following manner:-

3. The Criminal Appeal No. 1495 of 2025, filed by the appellant/accused Ramadhar Baghel, against the impugned judgment of conviction and sentence dated 14-07-2025, passed by learned Additional Sessions Judge (FTC), Sakti, District Janjgir-Champa, in Sessions Case No. 38 of 2021, whereby the appellant has been convicted and sentenced in the following manner:-

4. The Criminal Appeal No. 1508 of 2025, filed by the appellant/accused Ravi Baghel, against the impugned judgment of conviction and sentence dated 14-07-2025, passed by learned Additional Sessions Judge (FTC), Sakti, District Janjgir-Champa, in Sessions Case No. 38 of 2021, whereby the appellant has been convicted and sentenced in the following manner:-

5. In all these appeals, the date of the incident is between 05-12-

2013 and 07-12-2013, and the allegation against the accused persons/appellants is that they committed gang rape upon the victim P.W. 1. The appellant/accused Rajesh Khunte was arrested on 26-03-2014, and he faced trial in Sessions Case No. 98 of

2014, which was decided on 12-03-2018. The two other co- accused persons/appellants, Ramadhar Baghel and Ravi Baghel, were arrested on 24-07-2014 and 13-01-2015, respectively, and a supplementary charge sheet has been filed against them on 29- 07-2021, before the learned Judicial Magistrate First Class, Dabhra, District Janjgir-Champa. The case was committed to the learned Sessions Court, and Sessions Case No. 38 of 2021 was registered, and they faced trial in Sessions Case No. 38/2021, before the learned Additional Sessions Judge (FTC), Sakti, District Janjgir-Champa, which was decided on 14-07-2025.

Sessions Case No. 98 of 2014

6. The case of the prosecution, in brief, is that the victim, P.W. 1, on

05-12-2013, when she was waiting for the bus at Bus Stand, Kanhakot and her father had gone back to his house due to his ailment, the accused persons/appellants came there in their Marshal J