2026:CGHC:10456-DB NAFR RAHUL HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR JHA RAHUL JHA Date: 2026.03.02

17:16:20 +0530 CRA No. 1152 of 2024 Ramanand Sahu @ Bhurva S/o Gudeshwar Sahu, Aged About 19 Years R/o Village Dindori, Police Station- Lalpur, District - Mungeli (C.G)

Appellant(s)

Versus State Of Chhattisgarh Through Station House Officer, Police Station -

Navagarh, District- Bemetara (C.G.).

Respondent(s)

(Cause-title taken from Case Information System) For Petitioner(s) : Mr. Sudhir Verma, Advocate For Respondent(s) : Mr. Shaleen Singh Baghel, GA Hon’ble Shri Ramesh Sinha, Chief Justice Hon’ble Shri Bibhu Datta Guru, Judge Per, Bibhu Datta Guru, Judge

28/02/2026

1. This criminal appeal preferred under Section 374(2) of the Cr.P.C is against impugned judgment of conviction and order of sentence dated 29/04/2024 passed in Sessions Trial No. 45/2023 by the learned I Additional Sessions Judge (Children Court), Bemetara (C.G.), whereby the appellant has been convicted and sentenced as under:-

In the crime in question, three accused persons were involved, out of whom two, namely Rahul Sahu and Sesh Kumar @ Sajan, had preferred CRA No. 2134/2023 challenging their conviction and sentence dated 06/10/2023 passed in ST No. 08/2023 by the I Additional Sessions Judge, Bemetara. The said appeal has already been dismissed by this Court vide judgment dated 30/06/2025. The present appellant was a Child in Conflict with Law (CCL) at the relevant time. He was tried separately as an adult and has been convicted vide the impugned judgment. Hence, the present appeal has been preferred.

2. (a) In brief, the prosecution case is that on 14/12/2022, Munnalal Diwakar, the Kotwar of the village (hereinafter referred to as “the Complainant”), lodged a zero number merg regarding the dead body of an unknown person. He reported, inter alia, that on the said morning, at about 7:00 a.m., while he had woken up and was sprinkling water in the field, one Suraj Dhruw informed him that a dead body was lying near Moharangiya Nala, close to the Shamshan Ghat. Upon receiving the information, he immediately proceeded to the spot and found the body of an unidentified person lying there. The head portion of the body was in a raised position within the water at the edge of the drain. There was substantial bleeding from the head. The deceased was dressed in a catechu-coloured floral jacket, black jeans pants, and blue sports shoes on both feet. The grass on the bank of the drain near the body was stained with blood for some distance, and a considerable quantity of blood was scattered approximately 50–55 feet away from the body. A piece of cement concrete stone, stained with blood, was also found lying nearby.

(b) During the course of investigation, it transpired that the present appellant (CCL), in furtherance of a conspiracy hatched with the co- accused, namely Rahul Sahu and Sesh Kumar, had taken the deceased to the place of occurrence and thereafter caused his death by committing his murder.

(c) On the basis of the information furnished by the Complainant, a zero-number inquest intimation was recorded. After preparation of the inquest (panchnama) over the dead body, the same was forwarded to the Community Health Center, Navagarh for postmortem examination. Thereafter, Inquest No. 49/2022 was registered and, at Police Station Navagarh, Crime No. 296/2022 was duly recorded against the accused persons.

3. After completion of the investigation, since the present appellant was a Child in Conflict with Law (CCL), a charge-sheet was submitted before the Juvenile Justice Board. The Board, upon consideration, came to the conclusion that the CCL was required to be tried as an adult and, accordingly, transferred the case to the learned I Additional Sessions Judge (Children Court), Bemetara. Thereafter, he was tried as an adult and his trial proceeded separately. After framing of charges, the same were read over and explained to the appellant. He denied the charges and claimed trial.

4. In