2026:CGHC:22080 NAFR KUNAL DEWANGAN HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR Digitally signed by KUNAL DEWANGAN MCRC No. 4207 of 2026 Abdul Munaf S/o Mo. Saddiq Aged About 58 Years R/o- Rasulpur, Ambikapur, District- Surguja, C.G.

... Applicant(s)

versus State Of C.G. Through - A.C.B. Unit, Ambikapur, District- Surguja, C.G.

Through The Police Station- Eo./n/acb, Raipur, ... Non-Applicant(s)

For Applicant(s) : Mr. Pawan Shrivastava, Advocate.

For Non-Applicant(s) : Dr. Sourabh K. Pande, Dy. Adv. Gen.

Hon'ble Mr. Ramesh Sinha, Chief Justice

Order on Board

11/05/2026

1. This is the first bail application filed under Section 483 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (for short ‘BNSS’) for grant of regular bail to the applicant who has been arrested in connection with Crime No. 11/2026 registered at Police Station- E.O.W. / Anti Corruption Bureau, Raipur, District- Raipur (C.G.) for the offence punishable under Sections 7 and 12 of Prevention of Corruption Act.

2. As per the prosecution case, a complaint was lodged by one Satyendra Kumar Prajapati before the Office of Anti-Corruption Bureau, Ambikapur, alleging that the present applicant and co-

accused, namely Guru Prasad Yadav, were demanding an amount of ₹25,000/- from the complainant for not implicating him in a criminal case. For verification of the complaint, a digital voice recorder was provided to the complainant, in which the conversation regarding the demand of ₹25,000/- by the co-accused was recorded. Thereafter, a trap proceeding was planned for 23.02.2026. Subsequently, on 24.02.2026, the applicant/accused called the complainant and asked him to pay the bribe amount as decided by the co-accused. Thereafter, on 24.02.2026, the applicant/accused was caught red-handed while accepting the bribe amount of ₹25,000/-, and thereafter, he was arrested. On the basis of the evidence available against the applicant and the co- accused, a Zero FIR was registered by the Anti-Corruption Bureau, Unit Ambikapur, and subsequently Crime No. 11/2026 for the offences punishable under Sections 7 and 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018) was registered at Police Station E.O.W./A.C.B., Raipur. After completion of the investigation, the charge-sheet was filed on 24.04.2026.

3. Learned counsel for the applicant submits that the applicant is innocent and has been falsely implicated in the present case. It is further submitted that no complaint has been made against the present applicant and he has never demanded any bribe from any person. He further submits that, as per the prosecution case itself, the allegation regarding demand of ₹25,000/- pertains to the co- accused, namely Guru Prasad Yadav, and no allegation of demand of bribe has been levelled against the present applicant. It is also submitted that the involvement of the applicant has been alleged only during the course of the trap proceedings conducted by the Anti-Corruption Bureau, and the said proceedings, including the alleged recovery and other related aspects, are matters of evidence which are required to be proved during the course of trial. He further submits that the investigation has already been completed and the charge-sheet has been filed before the competent Court therefore, there is no possibility of the applicant interfering with the prosecution evidence, and no useful purpose would be served by keeping him in judicial custody. It is also submitted that the applicant is in custody since 24.02.2026, he is the sole earning member of his family, and his continued detention has caused severe financial and social hardship to his dependent family members. It is further submitted that no prior allegations have ever been made against him and now he has been suspended from services further he has no criminal antecedent and the trial is likely to take some time for its conclusion. Therefore, he prays for grant of bail to the applicant.

4. On the other hand, learned State Counsel appearing for the responde