2026:CGHC:18364-DB MANPREET KAUR Digitally signed AFR by MANPREET KAUR Date: 2026.04.25 19:33:23 +0530 HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR CRA No. 281 of 2024 Ravindra Kumar Bareth S/o. Late Suresh Kumar Bareth, Aged About 23 Years R/o Ward No. 4, Baradwar Road, Sakti, Police Station Sakti, District : Sakti, Chhattisgarh --- Appellant(s)

versus State Of Chhattisgarh Through Sho, Police Station Sakti, District Janjgir Champa, Now District Sakti Chhattisgarh.

--- Respondent(s)

For Appellant(s) : Mr. Manoj Paranjpe, Sr. Adv. With Mr. Rishabh Gupta, Advocate For Respondent(s) : Ms. Anusha Naik, Dy. G.A.

CRA No. 413 of 2024 Yuvraj Sahu S/o Late Raghunandan Sahu Aged About 23 Years R/o Ward No. 4, Bajarpara, Sakti, District Janjgir-Champa, C.G. (Now This Time District Sakti)

---Appellant(s)

Versus State Of Chhattisgarh Through The Police Station Sakti, Dist. Janjgir-

Champa, C.G. (Now This Time District Sakti)

--- Respondent(s)

For Appellant(s) : Mr. Chandrikaditya Pandey, Advocate For Respondent(s) : Ms. Anusha Naik, Dy. G.A.

CRA No. 470 of 2024 Vickky Sagar S/o Shri Paramanand Sagar Aged About 30 Years R/o Ward No. 04, Sakti P.S. Sakti, Dist. Sakti, C.G.

---Appellant(s)

Versus State Of Chhattisgarh Through Aarakshi Kendra Sakti, Dist. Janjgir-

Champa (Now Dist. Sakti), C.G.

--- Respondent(s)

For Appellant(s) : Mr. Jitendra Pali, Advocate For Respondent(s) : Ms. Anusha Naik, Dy. G.A.

Hon'ble Shri Ramesh Sinha , Chief Justice Hon'ble Shri Ravindra Kumar Agrawal , Judge Judgment on Board Per Ramesh Sinha, CJ

22.04.2026

1. Since the aforesaid three criminal appeals have been filed against the impugned judgment dated 16.01.2024 passed by the learned Special Judge (FTSC), Sakti, District- Janjgir-Champa (C.G.) in Special Criminal Case No.29/2023, they were clubbed &

heard together and being disposed of by this common judgment.

2. Today, these matters have been listed for hearing on I.A. No.

01/2024 which are application for suspension of sentence and grant of bail to the respective appellants. However, with the consent of learned counsel appearing for the parties, the appeals are being heard finally.

3. The appellants have been convicted for the offences as under:

4. The prosecution case, in brief, is that on 13.05.2023, the daughter of the complainant (hereinafter referred to as the “victim”), after having dinner, had gone for a walk outside her house. It is alleged that at about 09:30 PM, while she was outside, accused Yuvraj Sahu approached her, induced her to accompany him, and made her sit on his motorcycle. At that time, co-accused Ravindra Bareth was also present on the said motorcycle.

5. It is further the case of the prosecution that both the accused persons took the victim to a place near Bandhava Pond at Kanchanpur, where they subjected her to forcible sexual assault. Upon her return home at around 11:30 PM, the victim disclosed the incident to her family members.

6. On the basis of a written complaint (Ex.P-4) submitted by the complainant at Sakti Police Station, FIR bearing No. 136/2023 (Ex.P-5) was registered against the accused persons under Section 376D of the Indian Penal Code and Section 4 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO Act), and investigation was set into motion.

7. During the course of investigation, the statement of the victim was recorded under Section 161 of the Code of Criminal Procedure by a woman police officer, and subsequently, her statement under Section 164 CrPC was recorded before the Judicial Magistrate First Class (Ex.P-1).

8. On the basis of the material collected, offences under Sections

363 and 366 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 6 of the POCSO Act were also invoked, as it was found that the accused persons, along with co-accused Vicky Sagar, had enticed and taken the victim away and committed sexual assault upon her.

9. The victim was medically examined with due consent, and her medical examination report was prepared (Ex.P-14). Similarly, the accused persons Ravindra Bareth, Yuvraj