1 NAFR HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR MCRC No. 1192 of 2026 1 - Avinash Wadhwani @ Avi S/o Shyamlal Wadhwani Aged About 28 Years R/o Near Rahul Dhaba, Garden City, Mopka, P.S.- Sarkanda, District Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh. ... Applicant versus 1 - State of Chhattisgarh Through PS- Civil Lines, District Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh. ... Respondent(s) For Applicant : Shri Shobhit Koshta, Advocate. For State : Shri Vikhyat Arora, Panel Lawyer. Hon’ble Shri Justice Ravindra Kumar Agrawal, J Order on Board 16.02.2026 1. This is first bail application seeking grant of bail to the Applicant who is in jail since 06.01.2026 in connection with Crime No.34/2026 registered at Police Station Civil Lines, Bilaspur, District Bilaspur, for the offence punishable under Sections 7(2) of Chhattisgarh Gambling (Prohibition) Act, 2022 read with Section 112 of BNS, 2023. 2. The case of the prosecution is that on 06.01.2026, the police of Police Station Civil Lines, Bilaspur, received a secret information that one Avinash Wadhwani (the applicant) is engaged in online gambling in Cricket match and he is standing near Maharana Chowk, Bilaspur. The police intercepted the applicant and his mobile phone was seized. INDRAJEET SAHU Digitally signed by INDRAJEET SAHU Date: 2026.02.16 14:47:16 +0530 2 From his mobile phone, end numbers of whatsApp and mobile Apps were recovered through which he was engaged in playing online gambling with various persons. On being interrogated, he disclosed that he along with Sagar Chetwani and Rohit Panjwani are engaged in online gambling since three years. From the applicant, his mobile phone and Rs.3000/- cash was seized and screen shot of various WhatsApp numbers through which there were playing online gambling were extracted. The Bank account statement as well as CDR was been obtained by the police. FIR was lodged. The applicant was arrested and the charge sheet has been filed. 3. Learned counsel for the applicant would submit that the applicant is projected by the police as middleman and the main accused persons are Sagar Chetwani and Rohit Panjwani. The applicant is not a part of organized crime along with other accused persons and only mobile phone and Rs.3000/- has been seized from the applicant. Electronic evidence is not sufficient to presume that applicant is also involved in the offence of online gambling. The mobile phone was seized and data has been recovered and no custodial interrogation is required. The offences are triable by Judicial Magistrate First Class and therefore the applicant may be released on bail as trial would take sometime. 4. On the other hand, learned counsel appearing for the State opposes and submits that there are sufficient evidence against the applicant that he is involved in organizing online gambling along with other accused persons. From the data extracted from mobile phone as well as the screen shot of mobile phone seized from applicant there are sufficient material collected by the prosecution that along with other accused persons the applicant was engaged in online gambling. The accused 3 persons prepared a syndicate and managed online gambling in Cricket Matches. He would also submit that form the bank account statement of the applicant and other accused persons there are huge number of money transaction between them during 01.04.2025 to 07.01.2026. It is also submitted that the applicant is having four criminal antecedents of similar nature of offence, out of which three cases i.e. Criminal Case Nos. 5380/2022, 21295/2025 and 21296/2025 are still pending consideration before JMFC, Bilaspur. Therefore, the applicant is not entitled for bail. 5. I have heard learned counsel for the parties and perused the material annexed with the bail application and case diary. 6. Considering the submissions made by learned counsel for the parties, considering the nature of allegation against the applicant and the material collected during the investigation; the syndicate prepared by the applicant along with other accused persons and the data collected from the mobile phone of applicant; further considering that applicant is having four criminal antecedents out of which three cases are still pending consideration before JMFC, Bilaspur, I am not inclined to release the applicant on bail. 7. Accordingly, the bail application of applicant is rejected. Sd/- (Ravindra Kumar Agrawal) Judge inder