1 2025:CGHC:20568 NAFR HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR MCRC No. 3055 of 2025 1 - Rajdeep Sahu S/o Damodar Sahu Aged About 23 Years R/o Amadih, Thana Nigora Dist Balodabazar Bhatapara Chhattisgarh. ... Applicant versus 1 - State of Chhattisgarh Through Police Station, Sarkanda, District Bilaspur Chhattisgarh. ... Respondent(s) For Applicant : Shri Mateen Siddique, Advocate. For State : Ms. Pragya Shrivastava, Dy. Govt. Advocate. Hon’ble Shri Justice Ravindra Kumar Agrawal, J Order on Board 05.05.2025 1. This is first bail application seeking grant of bail to the Applicant who is in jail since 06.04.2025 in connection with Crime No.513/2025 registered at Police Station Sarkanda, District Bilaspur, for the offence punishable under Sections 6&7 of Chhattisgarh Gambling Act. 2. The case of prosecution is that on 05.04.2025 the police of Police Station, Sarkanda, Bilaspur received a secret information that the present applicant along with his other friends are involved in online gambling and playing Bet in IPL Cricket Match between Chennai Super Kings Vs. Delhi Capitals. On raid being conducted by the police in the rented house of Sanjeev Singh, the applicant and other accused Digitally signed by INDRAJEET SAHU Date: 2025.05.16 12:03:06 +0530 2 persons were found engaged in playing online Gambling through a laptop on 05.04.2025. They were watching live telecast of the said Match between Chennai Super Kings Vs. Delhi Capitals and taking note of the betting money in the register. From the present applicant along with other co-accused persons total three android mobile, three keypad mobile, one laptop, one register, 27 numbers of gambling chit and Rs. 10,390/- cash were seized. The FIR was registered and the applicant along with other accused persons have been arrested and charge sheet have been filed. 3. Learned counsel for the applicant would submit that the applicant is in jail since 05.04.2025. The minimum sentence provided for the alleged offence is of one year. The other co-accused persons have been granted bail by the trial court except the present applicant and the case of present applicant is similar to the case of other accused persons. There is no convincing evidence that they were playing bet through online gambling but all the friends were enjoying live cricket match together and only on suspicion the police has arrested them. The applicant is a breadwinner of his family and respectable person in the society. The investigation has been completed and charge sheet has been filed. Final adjudication of the case will take its own time and therefore he may be enlarged on bail. 4. On the other hand, the State counsel opposes the bail application and have submitted that the applicant is involved in online gambling in Cricket Match going on in the present days. It is an organized crime and mobile phones have been seized from the applicant which is under observation. The act of the applicant affects the economy of nation which is having serious impact upon the public at large. The applicant 3 is having criminal antecedent of the same nature of offence in Crime No.137/2022 registered at PS Gidhouri, District Baloda Bazar and Crime No.229/2024 registered for the offence under Sections 281 & 125-A BNS, 2023. From the statement of witnesses it also comes that the present applicant is using the bank account of witnesses to extract money from online betting and used the said bank account for money transaction. Since he is having criminal antecedent of same nature of offence, the applicant is not entitled for bail. 5. I have heard the counsel for the parties and perused the case diary. 6. Considering the submissions made by the counsel for the parties, considering the nature of offence and material collected during investigation, considering the gravity of offence and involvement of applicant, considering the statement of the witnesses whose bank account has been used by the applicant for money transaction in the online gambling and further that the applicant is having criminal antecedent of similar nature of offence, I am not inclined to release the applicant on bail at this stage. 7. The bail application of the applicant is accordingly rejected. Sd/- (Ravindra Kumar Agrawal) Judge inder