Extracted from the PDF above. The PDF is authoritative.
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2025:CGHC:32270
NAFR HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR MCRCA No. 1016 of 2025 Raghunath Manjhi S/o Jairam Manjhi Aged About 50 Years Occupation- Agriculture R/o Village Losangi P.S. And Tehsil Lakhanpur, District- Surguja, C.G.
... Applicant versus State of Chhattisgarh Through Station House Officer, P.S. Lakahanpur, District Surguja, C.G.
... Non-applicant For Applicant : Ms. Nishi Kant Sinha, Advocate. For Non-applicant/State : Ms. Vaishali Mahilong, Panel Lawyer. Hon'ble Shri Ramesh Sinha, Chief Justice
Order On Board 11.07.2025
1. The applicant has preferred this 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. 130/2025, registered at Police Station – Lakhanpur, District – Surguja (C.G.) for the alleged commission of offence punishable under Sections 105 of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and Section 135 of the Electricity Act. ABHISHEK SHRIVAS Digitally signed by ABHISHEK SHRIVAS Date: 2025.07.11 18:31:50 +0530
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2. As per the prosecution story, a morgue intimation was lodged by the complainant, Jasgeshwar Yadav, on 30.05.2025, stating that his brother, Neer Sai, and Vishnu Manjhi had gone through the fields towards the house of Vishnu Manjhi and did not return that night. On 31.05.2025, their dead bodies were found in the field of the applicant, and it was alleged that they died due to an electric shock received from an electric wire spread in the applicant’s field.
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Learned counsel for the applicant submits that the applicant has been falsely implicated in this case. He submits that the present applicant has neither committed nor participated in any such act that may amount to any of the offences mentioned above. He submits that both the deceased went along with the informant in the night hours to hunt wild boars using electric wire shock and died on account of a mishap, getting a shock while hunting wild boars on the applicant's field. Therefore, just to save himself, the complainant has falsely implicated the applicant. He submits that the present applicant has no criminal antecedents therefore, he prays for grant of anticipatory bail to the applicant.
4. On the other hand, the learned State counsel opposes the submission made by the learned counsel for the applicant, submitting that the present applicant has electric fencing in his field, and it was this electric wire that the deceased came into contact with on the date of the incident, resulting in their death, therefore, the present applicant is not entitled for grant of anticipatory bail.
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5. I have heard learned counsel for the parties and perused the case diary.
6. Considering the nature and gravity of the offence and material on record and from perusal of the case diary it appears that the present applicant has electric fencing in his field, and it was this electric wire that the deceased came into contact with on the date of the incident, resulting in their death, therefore, I am not inclined to grant anticipatory bail to the applicant.
7. Accordingly, the anticipatory bail application of the applicant – Raghunath Manjhi, involved in Crime No. 130/2025, registered at Police Station – Lakhanpur, District – Surguja (C.G.) for the alleged commission of offence punishable under Sections 105 of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and Section 135 of the Electricity Act, is rejected. Sd/- (Ramesh Sinha) Chief Justice Abhishek