Digitally 2026:CGHC:9455-DB signed by ANURADHA ANURADHA TIWARI TIWARI Date: NAFR

2026.02.24

17:44:49 +0530 HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR CRMP No. 2990 of 2025 Akash Das S/o Late Mahavir Das Aged About 23 Years R/o Khursipar, Zone- 2, Q. No. 3 D Bhilai, Police Station Khursipar, District : Durg, Chhattisgarh ... Petitioner versus State of Chhattisgarh Through Station House Officer, Police Station Baikunthpur, District : Koriya (Baikunthpur), Chhattisgarh ... Respondents (Cause-title taken from Case Information System)

For Petitioner : Mr. Tarendra Kumar Jha, Advocate For State/Respondent : Mr. Nitansh Jaiswal, Deputy Government Advocate Hon'ble Shri Ramesh Sinha, Chief Justice Hon'ble Shri Ravindra Kumar Agrawal, Judge

Order on Board

Per Ramesh Sinha, Chief Justice

24.02 .2026

1. Heard Mr. Tarendra Kumar Jha, learned counsel for the petitioner as well as Mr. Nitansh Jaiswal, learned Deputy Government Advocate, appearing for the State/respondent.

2. The petitioner has filed the instant petition with the following reliefs :-

“1. It is therefore prayed that, this Hon'ble Court may kindly be pleased to allow this CRMP and quash FIR no. 22/2024 dated 16.01.2024 and entire charge sheet and order of taking cognizance and entire criminal proceedings in which offences are registered under section 201 of IPS and section 7(1), 8 of The Chhattisgarh Gambling (Prohibition) Act 2022. (ANNEXURE P/1) (COLLY) in the interest of justice.

2. It is therefore prayed that, this Hon'ble Court may kindly be pleased to allow this CRMP To quash the entire criminal proceeding and order taking cognizance dated 18.06.2024 in RCC/552/2024 ANNEXURE P/2 (COLLY) pending before the court of learned Judicial Magistrate First Class Baikunthpur, District (C.G.)

in the interest of justice.”

3. Brief facts of the case, in a nutshell, are that on 15.01.2024 at about 21:30 hours, a secret information was received by the police through an informer that one Dinesh Singh, resident of Village Belbahara Bajapara, Police Station Manendragarh, was facilitating gambling and betting activities by opening bank accounts in Axis Bank, Baikunthpur and providing cheque books and ATM cards to other persons for illegal transactions. It was further informed that his mobile number is 9302763961.

4. Acting upon the said information, the suspect Dinesh Singh was summoned to the Police Station through mobile phone. Upon his arrival, he disclosed that Santosh Kumar Yadav, resident of Village Salka, Police Station Podi, was the main person who required bank accounts for gambling and betting purposes. He further stated that at the instance of Santosh Yadav, he had opened bank accounts in Axis Bank, Baikunthpur, including Account No. 923010004556439 and subsequently Account No. 923010004556856 during the period between August and September 2023. He allegedly handed over the cheque books and ATM cards of the said accounts to Santosh Yadav, who had assured payment of ₹5,000/- for the same. It was also disclosed that the accounts were intended to be used for one Ashish Reddy, resident of Bhilai. Dinesh Singh provided a photocopy of his bank account statement of Axis Bank, Baikunthpur Branch, and stated that he had no knowledge regarding the transactions carried out in the said accounts. On the basis of the said disclosure, an FIR came to be registered against eight accused persons for their alleged involvement in illegal gambling and betting activities.

5. During the course of investigation, the name of the present petitioner surfaced only in the memorandum statement of a co- accused person. Except for the said memorandum statement, there is no direct evidence linking the present petitioner with the alleged offence. The present petitioner has no previous criminal antecedents and no other criminal case is registered against him.

6. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the impugned action of the respondent authorities in registering the aforesaid FIR and arraying the petitioner as an accus