Extracted from the PDF above. The PDF is authoritative.
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2025:CGHC:25038-DB
NAFR HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR CRA No. 843 of 2025 Vivek Singh S/o Ram Sushil Singh Aged About 35 Years Resident Of Arjun Valley Colony, Saddu, Raipur, Police Station- Vidhansabha, District Raipur, Permanent Address- Stadium Para Manpur, District- Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh-Chowki (C.G.)
... Petitioner(s) versus State Of Chhattisgarh Through- The Sub-Divisional Officer Police Manpur, Police Station Madanwada, District- Mohla Manpur Ambagarh- Chowki (C.G.)
... Respondent(s) (Cause-title taken from Case Information System) For Appellant : Mr. Yuvraj Singh and Mr. Ravi Kumar Tandon, Advocate For Respondent-State : Mr. Shashank Thakur, Deputy Advocate General
Hon'ble Shri
Ramesh Sinha,
Chief Justice
Hon'ble
Shri Bibhu Datta Guru
, Judge
Judgment
on Board
Per
Ramesh Sinha
, Chief Justice
17.06.2025 JYOTI SHARMA Digitally signed by JYOTI SHARMA Date: 2025.06.20 10:15:08 +0530
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1. Heard Mr. Yuvraj Singh and Mr. Ravi Kumar Tandon, Advocate for the appellant and heard Mr. Shashank Thakur, learned Deputy Advocate General, appearing for the State/respondent.
2. This criminal appeal under Section 21(1) of the National Investigation Agency Act, 2008 (for short, ‘NIA Act’) is directed for seeking discharge from the charges under Section 39 of UAPA in connection with Crime No. 03/2024 pending before the Learned Special Judge (NIA Act), Rajnandgaon.
3. The prosecution case, in brief, is that appellant was arrested on 10th August 2024 along with four other co-accused and the main accused in the case was arrested earlier on 2/04/2024. Initially, the appellant faced charges under multiple provisions, including Sections 3 and 5 of the Explosive Substances Act, 1908; Sections 8(3) and 8(5) of the Chhattisgarh Vishesh Jan Suraksha Adhiniyam, 2005; Sections 10, 13, 17, 38(1)(2), and 39(1)(2) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act,1967 (UAPA); and Sections 384 and 386 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Further, on 18th March 2025, the Appellant was partially discharged from all charges except Section 39 UAPA.
4. In the present Criminal Appeal the appellant taken a ground that there is no sufficient and cogent material against the appellant herein in respect of the offence under Section 39 of UAPA. The appellant also contended that there is no material-financial, communicative or otherwise- links of the appellant to terrorist activities or organization. According to the appellant, the prosecution’s failure to produce any
3 incriminating material warrants discharge of the appellant from these charges.
5. On the other hand, Mr. Shashank Thakur, Deputy Advocate General for the NIA/respondent vehemently opposed the prayer and submits that the appellant has played major role in the incident. The learned Trial court after appreciating the entire facts and circumstances of the case in its true perspective has rightly not discharges the appellant from the offence under Section 39 of UAPA.
6. Perusal of the records shows that the appellant has been discharged from all the charges except Section 39 UAPA.
7. Considering the aforesaid facts and circumstances of the case, nature and gravity of the offence and further perusal of the impugned
order, we do not find any good ground to discharge the appellant from charges under Section 39 UAPA in Crime No. 03/2024, pending before the Learned Special Judge (NIA Act), Rajnandgaon. Moreover, it is also apparent that the State and the Centre are combating and are making all their efforts along with their machineries to make the State of Chhattisgarh free from naxalite activities as this State is gripped with naxalite activities causing endanger to the internal security of the State as well as common people, which also effect the national interest, hence, at this stage, we are not inclined to discharge the appellant from the charges. Accordingly, the instant criminal appeal is rejected.
8. However, this Court hopes and trusts that the trial Court shall make an earnest endeavour to conclude the trial expeditiously
4 preferably within a period of 6 months from the date of receipt of this
judgment in accordance with law, if there is no legal impediment and the appellant is directed to co-operate with the trial.
9. Office is directed to send a certified copy of this order to the trial Court concerned for necessary information and compliance forthwith. Sd/- Sd/- (Bibhu Datta Guru) (Ramesh Sinha) Judge Chief Justice Jyoti/ $ Bhilwar