2025:CGHC:57498 NAFR HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR MCRC No. 9506 of 2025

1 - Bheshram Deshmukh S/o Ratanlal Deshmukh Aged About 62 Years R/o Govt. Staff Quarter Veterinary College Anjora, Chowki Anjora, P.S.

Pulgaon, Tehsil And Distt. Durg, Chhattisgarh.

2 - Ravikant Deshmukh S/o Bheshram Deshmukh Aged About 28 Years R/o Govt. Staff Quarter Veterinary College Anjora, Chowki Anjora, P.S.

Pulgaon, Tehsil And Distt. Durg, Chhattisgarh.

... Applicant(s)

versus State Of Chhattisgarh Through P. S. Pulgaon, Distt. Durg, Chhattisgarh.

Digitally AKHILESH signed by KUMAR AKHILESH DEWANGANKUMAR DEWANGAN ... Respondent(s)

For Applicant(s) : Mr. Hemant Kumar Agrawal, Advocate.

For Respondent(s) : Smt. Supriya Upasane, Government Advocate.

Hon'ble Mr. Ramesh Sinha, Chief Justice

Order on Board

26/11/2025

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 applicants who have been arrested in connection with Crime No. 363/2025 registered at Police Station Pulgaon, Distt. Durg (C.G.) for the offence punishable under Sections 420, 34 of the Indian Penal Code.

2.

Case of the prosecution, in brief, is that the accused Bhesharam Deshmukh, his son Ravikant, and associate Arun Meshram fraudulently lured the complainant, Santaram Deshmukh, by falsely promising government peon jobs in the Ministry at Raipur for his son and son-in-law. They demanded Rs.5,00,000/- for arranging the appointments and received this amount in cash on 02.07.2022 at Bhesharam’s government quarter in Anjora. After taking the money and documents, the accused kept delaying the matter on various pretexts and finally stopped responding. When the complainant verified at the Ministry, he learned that neither Arun Meshram nor Ravikant held any job there. Later, several other victims also reported being similarly cheated by the same accused for different amounts. Thus, the accused collectively committed cheating and dishonestly took money without providing any job. An FIR was lodged, and the accused were arrested for offences under Sections

420/34 IPC. Hence, the bail application.

3.

Learned counsel for the applicants submits that the applicants have not committed any offence and he has been falsely implicated in offence in question. He further submits that the applicants never cheated the complainant or anyone else. Instead, they were themselves victims of fraud committed by the main accused, Arun Kumar Meshram, who took money from them by falsely promising a government job in the Mantralaya for applicant no. 2. When the applicants demanded their money back, Arun Meshram avoided repayment, gave threats, and later absconded. The applicants even attempted to lodge a report against him, but the police did not register the FIR, forcing them to submit a written complaint to the Inspector General of Police on 12.06.2025. Applicant No. 1 is also a 62-year-old person suffering from frequent illness. He also submits that the applicants had sold their agricultural land through registered sale deeds, and the sale proceeds were deposited in applicant No. 2’s bank account. They point out that the FIR in the present case was lodged on 01.09.2025, almost three years and two months after the alleged incident of 02.07.2022. They maintain that they never received Rs.5,00,000/- or any amount from the complainant or any other person for providing jobs. The applicants are in jail since 06.09.2025, the applicants have no criminal antecedents, 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 applicants.

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. She further submits that the applicants are alleged to have, in collusion with co-accused Arun Meshram, dishonestly taken Rs.5,00,000/- from the complainant by falsely promising gov