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2026:CGHC:14417 NAFR

HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR

MCRC No. 2825 of 2026

1 - Kunwar Singh S/o Jugut Baiga Aged About 35 Years R/o Village Jampani, Police Station And Tahsil Bodla, District- Kabirdham (C.G.) 2 - Dashru S/o Savnu Baiga, Aged About 40 Years R/o Village Jampani,

VAIBHAV SINGH Police Station And Tahsil Bodla, District- Kabirdham (C.G.) ... Applicants Digitally signed by VAIBHAV

SINGH Date: 2026.03.27 11:54:58 +0530

versus

State Of Chhattisgarh Through Forest Range Officer, Range Kawardha District- Kabirdham , Chhattisgarh ...Non-applicant

For Applicants : Mr. Amit Kumar Sahu, Advocate For Non-Applicant/State : Mr. Sourabh Sahu, Panel Lawyer.

Hon'ble Shri Ramesh Sinha, Chief Justice

Order on Board

25.03.2026

1.

This is the first bail application filed under Section 483 of the Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 for grant of regular bail to the applicant who have been arrested in connection with Crime No./P.O.R.No. 21614/13 registered at Police Station – Forest Range Officer, Range Kawardha District- Kabirdham (C.G.), for the offences

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punishable under Section 9 read with Sections 2(16)(A)(B), 32, 39, 44(B) read with section 2, section 20, Section 50, 51 of Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 and sections 3 & 4 of Prevention of Damage to

Public Property Act, 1984.

2.

Case of prosecution story in short is that, in the morning of 16.12.2025 the forest constable namely Anil Rajput was on patrolling at that time he was received an information that in the forest range no. 47 an animal has been died on this basis he went to the spot and seen that two Bison were died, then he informed the higher authority and during investigation came to knowledge that the applicants were illegally hocked and laid in the forest through G.I. wire and the animals were contacted with the wire and died on the spot, on this basis the crime

has been registered and arrested the applicants.

3.

Learned counsel for the applicants submitted that the applicants are innocent person and have been falsely implicated in this offence. it is submitted that they are neither the landholders of the alleged spot nor have they indulged in any illegal act. There is no eyewitness to the alleged incident, and even the forest constable has not recovered any illegal article from the place of occurrence. The applicants have been implicated merely on the basis of suspicion, and significantly, the dead body of the alleged bison has not been found. The case is triable by the Magistrate, and the applicants have been in judicial custody since 17.12.2025. They are permanent residents of the address mentioned in the cause title and there is no likelihood of their absconding. The applicants are ready and willing to furnish adequate sureties and

undertake to abide by all the directions of this Hon’ble Court.

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On the other hand, learned State Counsel opposes the bail application of the present applicant and submits that the charge-sheet has

already been filed in the present case.

5.

I have heard learned counsel for the parties and perused the case

diary.

6.

Taking into consideration the facts and circumstances of the case, nature and gravity of allegation levelled against the applicant and the fact that the applicants have no previous antecedents and also considering the fact that the charge-sheet has been filed and they have been in jail since 17.12.2025 and conclusion of the trial is likely to take some time, therefore, I am inclined to grant regular bail to the

present applicants.

7.

Let the Applicants – Kunwar Singh & Dashru involved in Crime No./P.O.R.No. 21614/13 registered at Police Station – Forest Range Officer, Range Kawardha District- Kabirdham (C.G.), for the offences punishable under Section 9 read with Sections 2(16)(A)(B), 32, 39, 44(B) read with section 2, section 20, Section 50, 51 of Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 and sections 3 & 4 of Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984, be released on bail on his furnishing personal bond with t