Extracted from the PDF above. The PDF is authoritative.
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2025:CGHC:58886
NAFR HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR MCRC No. 9851 of 2025 Shiv Kumari Bharadwaj W/o Late Kamal Bharadwaj Aged About 52 Years R/o Village Bargawan P S Balouda, District- Janjgir-Champa C.G.
... Applicant versus State of Chhattisgarh Through District P S Akaltara, District- Janjgir- Champa C.G.
... Non-applicant For Applicant : Mr. Priyank Rathi, Advocate For Non-Applicant/State : Mr. Nitansh Jaiswal, Panel Lawyer.
Hon'ble Shri
Ramesh Sinha
, Chief Justice
Order on Board 04.12.2025
1. The applicant has preferred this First Bail Application under Section 483 of B.N.S.S. for grant of regular bail, as she has been arrested in connection with Crime No. 550/2025, registered at Police Station- Akaltara, District- Janjgir-Champa, (C.G) for the offence punishable under Section 34(2) of the Chhattisgarh Excise Act.
2. The prosecution story in brief, is that, as per the secret information received from the informant, on the basis of such information, the police ofÏcials conducted raid and have seized 06 bulk liters of raw Mahua liquor of hand made from the possession of the present RAHUL DEWANGAN Digitally signed by RAHUL DEWANGAN
2 applicant. Thereafter, the crime has been registered against the applicant.
3.
Learned counsel for the applicant submits that the applicant has been falsely implicated in this case and no seizure has been made from the exclusive possession of the applicant. He further submits that the present applicant has 04 criminal antecedents under the similar nature, out of which, in two cases, she has been acquitted and remaining two cases, is on bail. He also submits that under Sections 34(2) of the Chhattisgarh Excise Act, minimum punishment is one year and maximum punishment is three years and the applicant is languishing in jail since 26.10.2025 and the conclusion of the trial is likely to take quite long time. Therefore, he prays for releasing the applicant on regular bail.
4. On the other hand, learned State Counsel appearing for the State/non-applicant opposes the bail application and submits that in the present case charge-sheet has been filed before the competent Court. He also submits that the present applicant has 04 criminal antecedents under the similar nature, which shows that the present applicant is a habitual offender. As such, she is not entitled for grant of bail.
5. I have heard learned counsel for the parties and perused the case diary.
6. Considering the facts and circumstances of the case also considering the fact that the applicant has 04 criminal antecedents
3 under the similar nature, out of which, in two cases, she has been acquitted and remaining two cases, is on bail, shows that the present applicant is a habitual offender and also in light of the
judgment rendered by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in Deepak Yadav v. State of Uttar Pradesh & Another, reported in (2022) 8 SCC 559, wherein the Hon’ble Supreme Court had cancelled the bail granted to the accused therein on the ground that the accused had previous antecedents, this Court is of the opinion that it is not a fit case to enlarge the applicant on regular bail, accordingly, the bail application of the applicant – Shiv Kumari Bharadwaj, involved in Crime No. 550/2025, registered at Police Station- Akaltara, District- Janjgir-Champa, (C.G) for the offence punishable under Section 34(2) of the Chhattisgarh Excise Act, is rejected.
7. Needless to say that the trial Court concerned is at liberty to proceed and conclude the trial expeditiously.
8. OfÏce is directed to send a certified copy of this order to the trial Court concerned for necessary information and compliance forthwith. Sd/-
(Ramesh Sinha)
Chief Justice Rahul Dewangan