Page No.# 1/3 GAHC010165952026 2026:GAU-AS:11282 THE GAUHATI HIGH COURT (HIGH COURT OF ASSAM, NAGALAND, MIZORAM AND ARUNACHAL PRADESH) Case No. : Bail Appln./2266/2026 SOFIKUL ALI ALIAS SAFIKUL ALI S/O- SULEMAN ALI VILL-SERAPBHATI, NO.1 RANGAJAN, P.S. NORTH LAKHIMPUR, DIST. LAKHIMPUR, ASSAM, VERSUS THE STATE OF ASSAM REPRESENTED BY THE P.P. ASSAM. Advocate for the Petitioner : MD. A HUSSAIN, MR. T ISLAM,MR. K ALOM Advocate for the Respondent : PP, ASSAM, BEFORE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE SANJEEV KUMAR SHARMA ORDER 11.08.2026 Heard Mr. MD. A. Hussain, learned counsel for the petitioner. Also heard Mr. B. Sharma, learend Addl. Public Prosecutor for the State. 2. This is an application under Section 483 of BNSS, 2023 praying for granting regular bail to the petitioner who has been arrested on 24.07.2026 in Page No.# 2/3 connection with North Lakhimpur P.S. Case No. 238/2026 under Section 64(2) (m)/351(23) of BNS read with Section 66E/67A of IT Act, 2008. 3. The informant lady alleges in the FIR is that she was picked up by the petitioner in his vehicle on 24.05.2026 and was taken to a hotel where the petitioner committed rape upon her by putting her in fear and thereafter, again on 30.05.2026, she was again taken to another hotel in another town and the same act was repeated and overall the petitioner committed rape upon the informant for a total number of 5 (five) days in a hotel and also thereafter, demanded a ransom of Rs. 20,00,000/-, threatening to made the videography done by him viral. 4. The learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the petitioner is a married person with children and the informant herself is a married person with children and the allegation of demanding Rs. 20,00,000/- is not at all believable as the lady is an Anganwadi worker and moreover, the incidents allegedly took place on 24.05.2026 and 30.05.2026 and yet the FIR was only lodged on 23.07.2026. The petitioner was arrested on 24.07.2026 and since then, he has been languishing in jail. 5. From the contents of the FIR, it cannot be ruled out that the informant who is an adult married lady voluntarily accompanied the petitioner and any act as alleged may have been consensual in nature. Page No.# 3/3 6. Having regard to the above, the prayer for bail is allowed. 7. Accordingly, the petitioner in connection with the aforesaid case is directed to be released on bail on furnishing a bail bond of Rs. 20,000/- with two (2) sureties of like amount to the satisfaction of the learned Jurisdictional Magistrate. 8. The petition is disposed of. JUDGE Comparing Assistant