1 2026:CGHC:19309 NAFR HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR MCRC No. 3770 of 2026 Shyam Vastrakar S/o Late Rameshwar Prasad Vastrakar Aged About 41 Years, Food Inspector, Office Of The S.D.O. Revenue, Masturi, District- Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, R/o C-126, Mahaveer City Colony, Rajkishore Nagar, Bilaspur, District- Bilaspur (C.G.) ... Applicant versus State Of Chhattisgarh Through P.S. Anti-Corruption Bureau, District – Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh. ... Non-applicant For Applicant : Mr. Ashutosh Tirvedi, Advocate. For Non-applicant/State : Dr. Sourabh K. Pande, Dy. Advocate General. Hon’ble Shri Ramesh Sinha, Chief Justice Order on Board 27.04.2026 1. This is the First bail application filed under Section 483 of the Bhartiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 for grant of regular bail to the applicant arrested in connection with Crime No. 09/2026 registered at Police Station – Anti-Corruption Bureau, District – Bilaspur (C.G.) for the offence punishable under Section 7 of Prevention of Corruption Act, Amended, 2018. 2. Case of the prosecution, in brief, is that The applicant, Shyam Vastrakar, was serving as a Food Inspector in the SDM Office, Masturi, when he allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs. 1,00,000/- from the complainant, Mahendra Patel, in exchange for submitting a favorable report regarding the allotment of a Government Fair Price Shop in Village Vidyadih Following a written complaint to the Anti- RAJSHEKHAR SONI Digitally signed by RAJSHEKHAR SONI 2 Corruption Bureau (ACB) on 03/02/2026, and the subsequent recording of the demand on 17/02/2026, a trap was organized_at the applicant's residence in Rajkishore Nagar, Bilaspur, on 21/02/2026. During the trap, the applicant was purportedly caught red-handed accepting Rs. 90,000/- in tainted currency, which was allegedly recovered from a white cotton napkin in his possession after his fingers turned pink in a chemical solution. Consequently, the applicant was arrested for offences punishable under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018), and has remained in judicial custody since the date of the trap. Hence, this application. 3. Learned counsel appearing for the applicant submits that the applicant is innocent and has been falsely implicated in the present case. It is submitted that the applicant is in jail since 21.02.2026, and the conclusion of the trial shall take quite long time. Therefore, he prays for grant of bail. 4. On the other hand, learned State counsel, opposes the bail application and submits that the demand of Rs. 1 Lac was made for submitting the report regarding the allotment of a Government Fair Price Shop, and thereafter, the applicant was purportedly caught red-handed accepting Rs. 90,000/- in tainted currency, by way of trap from the house of the applicant. As such, the bail application deserves to be rejected. 5. I have heard learned counsel for the parties and perused the case diary. 3 6. Taking into consideration the facts and circumstances of the case and also the fact that the demand of Rs. 1 Lac was made for submitting the report regarding the allotment of a Government Fair Price Shop, and thereafter, the applicant was purportedly caught red-handed accepting Rs. 90,000/- in tainted currency, by way of trap from the house of the applicant, thus, this Court is of the opinion that it is not a fit case to enlarge the applicant on regular bail. 7. Accordingly, this bail application of applicant – Shyam Vastrakar involved in Crime No. 09/2026 registered at Police Station – Anti- Corruption Bureau, District – Bilaspur (C.G.) for the offence punishable under Section 7 of Prevention of Corruption Act, Amended, 2018, is rejected at this stage. 8. Needless to say that the trial Court concerned is at liberty to proceed with the trial and conclude the same, expeditiously. 9. Office 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 Rajshekhar