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NEUTRAL CITATION

R/CR.MA/7731/2026 ORDER DATED: 06/04/2026

0.6921541731050508

IN THE HIGH COURT OF GUJARAT AT AHMEDABAD R/CRIMINAL MISC.APPLICATION (FOR ANTICIPATORY BAIL) NO. 7731

of 2026 ==========================================================

GUPTA PRAVEEN KUMAR Versus STATE OF GUJARAT

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Appearance:

MR. SATYAJIT SONGARA FOR MR. HARISINGH SODHA(17638) for the Applicant(s) No. 1 CHINTAN DAVE APP for the Respondent(s) No. 1

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CORAM:HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE P. M. RAVAL Date : 06/04/2026

ORAL ORDER

1. Rule. Learned Additional Public Prosecutor waives service of notice of rule for respondent – State of

Gujarat.

2. By way of this application under Section 482 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (for short, “BNSS”), the applicant has prayed for anticipatory bail in the event of arrest in connection with the FIR being C.R. No. 11189005242394 of 2024, registered with Morbi Taluka Police Station, District: Morbi for the offences punishable under Sections 303(1). 316(3), 316(4), 317. 317(2), 317(4), 318(3),

61(2)(a) of the BNS, 2023.

3. Learned advocate for the applicant submits that:-

3.1 That the present Applicant was not present at the scene of

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NEUTRAL CITATION

R/CR.MA/7731/2026 ORDER DATED: 06/04/2026

0.6921541731050508

offense. He has been arraigned as an accused merely based on the statement of the co-accused. It is the case of the prosecution that the co-accused along with other accused hired the godown on rent and, in connivance with other accused, brought the trucks carrying PCI Coal to the godown of the co-accused and replaced it by putting lower quality coal. However, the entire allegation against the present Applicant is that the Applicant is purchasing the said good quality coal. The stocks have already been recovered by the police. The main accused, namely Chiragbhai M. Dudani @ Patel, has been released on anticipatory bail by this Court vide order dated 05.03.2025 passed in Criminal Misc. Application No. 4665 of 2025. The Applicant has no past criminal antecedents. No loss has been caused to the complainant. No recovery is required

from the present Applicant.

3.2 That the nature of allegations are such that custodial interrogation at this stage is not necessary. It is further submitted that the applicant will keep himself available during the course of investigation and trial also and will not flee from

justice.

3.1 The learned advocate for the applicant further states that the applicant shall abide by all the conditions that may be imposed while granting anticipatory bail to the applicant. Accordingly, it is urged that this application may be allowed

and to grant the anticipatory bail to the applicant.

4. As against this, the learned Additional Public Prosecutor

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NEUTRAL CITATION

R/CR.MA/7731/2026 ORDER DATED: 06/04/2026

0.6921541731050508

appearing on behalf of the respondent – State has opposed grant of anticipatory bail looking to the nature and gravity of

the offence and requested not to entertain this application.

4.1 He has further submitted that the Applicant, along with other accused, is involved in the misappropriation of the goods in question, namely higher-grade quality coal, and placing low- grade quality coal, and thus, the present accused was in contact with the main accused, Chirag and Bhavesh, and thus, committed theft of coal worth Rs. 3,57,13,175/-. It is submitted that the investigation is still going on and the prima facie involvement of the Applicant is surfacing on record. Hence, he

has prayed to reject the said application.

5. Having heard the learned advocates appearing for the parties and perusing the papers available on record,