1 2026:CGHC:11044 NAFR HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR MCRCA No. 315 of 2026 Khemraj Gupta S/o Late Krishna Chand Gupta Aged About 37 Years R/o Village Chhote Gumda, PS And Tahsil- Gharghoda District- Raigarh (C.G.) ... Applicant versus State Of Chhattisgarh Through Police Station- Gharghoda District- Raigarh (C.G.) ... Respondent For Applicant : Shri Ashutosh Mishra, Advocate. For Respondent/State : Shri Nitansh Jaiswal, Dy.G.A. Hon'ble Shri Ramesh Sinha, Chief Justice Order On Board 03/03/2026 1. The applicant has preferred this application under Section 482 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (for short ‘BNSS’), for grant of anticipatory bail, apprehending his arrest in connection with Crime No.297/2025, registered at Police Station Gharghoda GOURI MUDALIAR Digitally signed by GOURI MUDALIAR Date: 2026.03.03 16:58:55 +0530 2 District- Raigarh (C.G.) for alleged commission of offence punishable under Sections 419, 420, 467, 468, 470, 471, 120-B of Indian Penal Code, 1860. 2. Case of the prosecution, in brief, is that on 09.11.2025 an FIR was lodged by the complainant Manager of Shriram finance Company branch Gharghoda Rakesh Tiwary alleging that one Virendra Pratap Purseth, present applicant Khemraj Gupta and Sudhir Nishad who were employees/sales managers of Shriram Finance company branch Gharghoda have sanctioned loan of Rs. 1,30,50,000/- to 26 persons during the period from 12.09.2017 to 15.03.2019 showing shops of different persons and by preparing false document. It has been further alleged that the loan was sanctioned in names of Sulit Rathiya, Balwant singh Rathiya and Dhansai Gond, whereas the shops on the basis of which loan was sanctioned were belonging to other persons and bribe was given to the employees of the finance company. In pursuant to FIR police officer registered offence under section under sections 419, 420, 467, 468, 470, 471, 120 (B) of Indian Penal Code, 1860. 3. Learned counsel for the applicant submits that the applicant is innocent and has been falsely implicated in this case. He would submit that the FIR has been lodged after an inordinate and unexplained delay of about 7–8 years, which clearly indicates that it is an afterthought. He would submit that on an earlier occasion, similar allegations were levelled in Crime No. 19/2020 (Criminal Case No. 417/2021), which was amicably settled between the 3 parties before the Lok Adalat and disposed of accordingly. He would submit that as per the prosecution story itself, the main allegations are against co-accused Virendra Pratap Purseth and not against the present applicant. Moreover, two co-accused persons have already been granted regular bail by this Court, while only the anticipatory bail of one co-accused was rejected. He would submit that the applicant is permanent resident of address shown in the cause title, there is no chance of his absconding and applicant is ready to furnish adequate surety and shall abide by all the directions and conditions, which may be imposed by this Court, therefore, he submits that the present applicant is entitled to be released on anticipatory bail. 4. On the other hand, learned State counsel opposes the prayer for grant of anticipatory bail. 5. I have heard learned counsel for the parties and perused the materials available on record. 6. Considering the facts and circumstances of the case, submission of learned counsel for the parties, materials available on record, considering the fact that the applicant, while working in Shriram Finance Pvt. Ltd., conspired with co-accused persons to forge documents and misrepresent customers as belonging to private institutions and by using forged documents, the applicant facilitated fraudulent sanction of loans amounting to Rs.1,30,50,000/-, thereby causing wrongful loss to the finance 4 company and also considering the fact that investigation is still going on, I am not inclined to grant anticipatory bail to the applicant. 7. Accordingly, the anticipatory bail application of the applicant - Khemraj Gupta, involved in Crime No.297/2025, registered at Police Station Gharghoda District- Raigarh (C.G.) for alleged commission of offence punishable under Sections 419, 420, 467, 468, 470, 471, 120-B of Indian Penal Code, 1860 is rejected. Sd/-Sd S Sd/- (Ramesh Sinha) Chief Justice gouri