1 2025:CGHC:33474 NAFR HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR MCRCA No. 1039 of 2025 Sudeep Mandal S/o Arjun Mandal Aged About 41 Years R/o Gram Behind Iti, Bengali Colony Boirdadar, P.S. Chakradhar Nagar, Tehsil And District- Raigarh (C.G.) ... Applicant versus State Of Chhattisgarh Through - S.H.O. P.S. Chakradhar Nagar, Raigarh, Tahsil And District- Raigarh (C.G.) ... Non-applicant For Applicant : Mr. Ankit Singh, Advocate. For Non-applicant/State : Ms. Soumya Sharma, Panel Lawyer. Hon'ble Shri Ramesh Sinha, Chief Justice Order On Board 16.07.2025 1. The applicant has preferred the second anticipatory bail application under Section 482 of the Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 for grant of Anticipatory Bail, apprehending his arrest in connection with Crime No.211/2025, registered at Police Station – Chakradhar Nagar, District – Raigarh(C.G.) for the alleged commission of offence punishable under Sections 318(4),336,338 & 340 of BNS. 2. That, as per prosecution story in brief is that one complainant Anita Sahu is the director of Mahanadi Agro Farmer Producer Company. VAIBHAV SINGH Digitally signed by VAIBHAV SINGH Date: 2025.07.17 11:04:15 +0530 2 In the month of November 2024, through Suresh Wani and Chhabi Banjare, acquaintances of the applicant, it was told that Ranjit Chauhan, son of Nathuram Chauhan (main accused, who is the director of Aseem Kripa Foundation, got a tender for NABARD project from National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD). The said tender was said to be of 6 crores. The company was told to benefit by supplying material in the said tender. Sunil Kashyap, Abhishek Devangan, Manharan Patel called the applicant and other people of the company to Raigarh and introduced them to Ranjit Chauhan. Ranjit Chauhan told the victims that he has got a tender of Rs 6 crore from NABARD, which he will give to a local registered company for work. When the victims expressed interest in completing the tender due to a big order, Ranjit Chauhan said that Rs 50 lakhs have to be paid before getting the order. A security deposit has to be made. In order to convince the victim, Ranjit Chauhan showed him a copy of the tender and also gave him a cheque of Rs. 50 lakhs. This influenced the victim. The Board of Directors of Mahanadi Agro Farmer Producer Company transferred Rs 27 lakhs to the account of Aseem Kripa Foundation between 20/11/2024 and 05/01/2025. When the complainant presented the cheque then it is how the applicant along with the man the cheque got dishonored and a FIR was registered against the present applicant as per the prosecution story. 3. The applicant is innocent and has been falsely implicated in a criminal case arising from a personal monetary dispute involving the main accused and the complainant. The FIR, filed with a delay of 3 nearly five months, contains vague and baseless allegations without any specific role attributed to the applicant, who was only named because he is a co-director of the NGO involved. The complainant had earlier issued a legal notice regarding dishonor of a cheque drawn by the main accused, demanding recovery of ₹50 lakhs, without leveling any direct accusation against the applicant. Subsequently, the complainant filed a complaint under Section 138 of the N.I. Act and relevant BNS sections before the JMFC, Pamgarh, while also having issued a postdated cheque worth ₹22 crores in favor of the NGO, indicating a mutual financial transaction rather than a criminal act. The applicant has already denied all allegations through a legal reply and maintains that this case is a clear misuse of legal process to exert pressure and extort money. No specific evidence connects the applicant to the alleged offence, and his arrest would severely harm his reputation and the functioning of his NGO, which works for the welfare of the elderly. He is a permanent resident with no risk of absconding and is fully prepared to comply with any conditions imposed by this Hon’ble Court, thus deserving the relief of anticipatory bail. 4. On the other hand, learned State counsel opposes the anticipatory bail application of the present applicant, is allegedly involved in a bank fraud, therefore, he is not entitled for grant of anticipatory bail. 5. I have heard learned counsel for the parties and perused the case diary. 4 6. Considering the nature and gravity of the offence and also considering the fact that in the present second anticipatory bail application no new ground has been raised and further looking to the seriousness of the allegations against the present applicant, I am not inclined to grant anticipatory bail to the applicant 7. Accordingly, the anticipatory bail application of the applicant – Sudeep Mandal, involved in Crime No.211/2025, registered at Police Station – Chakradhar Nagar, District – Raigarh(C.G.) for the alleged commission of offence punishable under Sections 318(4),336,338 & 340 of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, is rejected. Sd/- (Ramesh Sinha) Chief Justice vaibhav