1 2025:CGHC:27954-DB NAFR HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR CRMP No. 1974 of 2025 1 Rakesh Patel S/o Telan Patel Aged About 35 Years Occupation Meter Reader, R/o Village- Tendua, Nayapara, P.O Devribija Police Station Devribija, Thana And District Bemetara (C.G.) ... Petitioner(s) versus 1 State Of Chhattisgarh Through The Station House Officer, Police Chowki- Deverbija, Police Station, Bemetara (C.G.) 2 Abhishek Rathi S/o Suresh Kumar Rathi Aged About 30 Years Junior Engineer, Cspdcl Devribija, District Bemetara ... Respondent(s) (Cause title taken from CIS) For Petitioner(s) : Mr. Goutam Khetrapal, Advocate For Respondent/State : Mr. Shailendra Sharma, Panel Lawyer Hon'ble Shri Ramesh Sinha, Chief Justice Hon'ble Shri Bibhu Datta Guru, Judge Order on Board Per Ramesh Sinha, Chief Justice 26/06/2025 JYOTI SHARMA Digitally signed by JYOTI SHARMA Date: 2025.06.27 12:16:22 +0530 2 1. The instant CRMP has been filed under Section 528 of the BNSS with the following prayer:- I) Quash impugned FIR dated 18.04.2025 bearing Crime No. 219/2025 registered at Police Station, Bemetara, District- Bemetara (C.G.) for the offence under Section 316(5), 318 of Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita, 2023 against the petitioner. (ii) Grant any other relief (s) which this Hon'ble Court may deem fit in favour of petitioner may also be granted. 2. Facts of the case is that, the complainant namely Abhisehk Rahti (respondent No. 2) lodged the present complaint with the Devribija Police station stating multiple irregularities against the present petitioner who is a meter reader regarding failure to issue timely electricity bills and reduction of meter readings for 42 customers and causing huge loss to the electricity department. 3. Learned counsel for the petitioner vehemently submits that present FIR has been lodged by the respondent No. 2 as pressure tactics for withdrawal of the earlier complaint lodged by the petitioner on 06.03.2025 against the Junior Engineer for committing financial embezzlement and one Junior Engineer was also suspended by the competent authority on the basis of the complaint of the petitioner. He further submits that the petitioner 3 has been falsely implicated and prays that the FIR against the petitioner be quashed. 4. Per Contra, learned State counsel would oppose the submission made by the learned counsel for the petitioner and submits that investigation is under process. 5. We have heard learned counsel for the parties and perused the documents. 6. Prima-facie, this Court found that the petitioner has come up before this Court for quashment of FIR. From bare perusal of the pleadings and the documents, it is evident that multiple irregularities were levelled against the present petitioner who is a meter reader regarding failure to issue timely electricity bills and reduction of meter readings for 42 customers and causing huge loss to the electricity department has come to light thus investigation is necessary, thus, at this stage, we do not find any good ground to quash the FIR. However, it is obligatory that the trial be brought to a logical end expeditiously. 7. In that view of the matter, the CRMP is rejected at the motion stage itself. Sd/- Sd/- (Bibhu Datta Guru) (Ramesh Sinha) Judge Chief Justice Jyoti/ $ Bhilwar