2026:CGHC:13190 KUNAL DEWANGAN NAFR Digitally signed by KUNAL DEWANGAN HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR MCRCA No. 423 of 2026

1 - Manikant Singh S/o Late Ramashankar Singh Aged About 48 Years Both Resident Of K /173, Kali Mandir Road, Hunuman Nagar, Kankar Bagh Patna, Bihar

2 - Shushma Singh W/o Manikant Singh Aged About 45 Years Both Resident Of K /173, Kali Mandir Road, Hunuman Nagar, Kankar Bagh Patna, Bihar ... Applicant(s)

versus State Of Chhattisgarh Through The Station House Officer,police Station Mohan Nagar,durg, (C.G.)

... Respondent(s)

For Applicant(s) : Dr. Pratyush Nandan along with Mr. Shivam Mishra, Advocates For Respondent(s) : Mr. Sourabh Kumar Pande, Dy. A.G.

Hon'ble Mr. Ramesh Sinha, Chief Justice

Order on Board

19.03.2026

1. This first anticipatory bail application under Section 482 of the Bhartiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 has been filed by the applicants, who are apprehending their arrest in connection with Crime No. 405/2022 registered at Police Station – Mohan Nagar, District- Durg (C.G.) for the offence punishable under Sections

120-B, 34, 406, 409 & 420 of the IPC.

2. The prosecution case, in brief, is that the complainant, Praveen Rai, lodged a written report at Police Station- Mohan Nagar alleging that he was acquainted with co-accused Manikant, who used to handle financial transactions related to his business, and through him he came into contact with Chandan and Ramanand Sharan (Baba), all of whom were stated to be close associates. It is alleged that the accused persons, acting in furtherance of their common intention, induced the complainant by representing that they could arrange a loan of Rs.25 crores through a financier, for which an initial processing fee of Rs.12,00,000/- was demanded, and further insisted that an amount of Rs.19,00,000/- be paid to Ramanand Sharan (Baba) as a prerequisite for sanction of the said loan. Relying upon such representations, an agreement dated 18.01.2021 was executed, pursuant to which the complainant paid Rs.10,50,000/- himself and an additional Rs.8,50,000/- through his brother Anil Rai, while a total sum of Rs.22,00,000/- was received by Manikant and Chandan partly through banking channels and partly in cash. However, despite receipt of the aforesaid amounts, the accused persons failed to arrange the promised loan of Rs.25 crores and, upon being requested to return the money, deliberately avoided the complainant and switched off their mobile phones, thereby prima facie reflecting dishonest intention from the very inception. On these allegations of cheating, criminal breach of trust, and common intention, a case has been registered against the accused persons under Sections 420, 409, and 34 of the Indian Penal Code at Police Station- Mohan Nagar, and the investigation is presently underway.

3. Learned counsel for the applicants submits that the allegations made in the FIR are wholly false, frivolous, and concocted, and the applicants have been deliberately implicated with an oblique motive. It is submitted that, in fact, the complainant Praveen Rai along with his brothers Anil Rai and Sunil Rai are themselves involved in large-scale fraudulent activities and have cheated several persons, including the present applicants. Learned counsel submits that the complainant and his brothers are habitual offenders having multiple criminal antecedents across different States, as reflected from various FIRs and complaint cases instituted against them for offences under Sections 406, 420, 467, 468, 471, 506 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code, as well as proceedings under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, involving substantial amounts running into crores of rupees, copies of which are annexed with the bail application. It is further pointed out that in one of the earlier cases lodged by the complainant himself, the police has already filed a closure report upon finding the allegations to be false, thereby seriously denting the credibility of the present prose