1 2026:CGHC:10138 NAFR HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR MCRC No. 917 of 2026 1 - Prabhat Singh Thakur S/o Ashwni Singh Thakur Aged About 29 Years R/o Village Ponsra, Police Station Koni District Bilaspur Chhattisgarh ...Applicant versus 1 - State of Chhattisgarh The Police Station Koni District Bilaspur Chhattisgarh .. Respondent (Cause-title taken from Case Information System) For Applicant : Mr. Nikhil Shukla, Advocate. For State : Mr. Jai Prakash Tiwari, Panel Lawyer. Hon'ble Shri Justice Ravindra Kumar Agrawal, J. Order on Board 26-02-2026 1. Heard on the application filed under Section 483 of Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (in short ‘BNSS, 2023’). This is first bail application before this Court filed by the applicant for grant of regular bail who is in jail since 15-12-2025 in connection with Crime No.593/2025 registered at P.S. - Koni, Distt.- Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh for the offence under Section 3(2) of C.G. Prohibition of Gambling Act, 2022 and Section 112 of Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (in short ‘BNS’). 2. The case of the prosecution is that, on 15-12-2025 police of Police Station Koni received secret information that at village Ponsra some persons are engaged in gambling by playing cards. The police conducted raid where the gambling activity was going on and after seeing the police party some of the accused persons fled away from the place and only three were arrested. They disclosed about engagement of other accused persons who were also playing cards along with them. From the arrested accused persons Rs.27,020/- cash, two bundles of playing Digitally signed by MOHAMMED AADIL KHAN Date: 2026.02.27 17:07:26 +0530 2 cards, one plastic tarpaulin and ten motorcycles have been seized, in which the present applicant is also one of the accused. The applicant was arrested and after completion of the investigation charge sheet has been filed. 3. Learned counsel for the applicant would submit that the applicant is only enjoying the activity going on there and he was not engaged in playing cards or gambling. The offence is triable by Judicial Magistrate First Class. The applicant is in jail since 15-12-2025 and the other co-accused persons Saiban Ali, Rajesh Kumar Suryavanshi and Ravishankar have been released on bail by the learned trial Court. He would also submit that although there is criminal antecedents of the present applicant, but the same was with respect to the offences under the Excise Act and there is no criminal antecedent under the Gambling Act. Final adjudication of the case will take its own time. Therefore, the applicant may be enlarged on bail. 4. On the other hand, learned counsel for the State/non-applicant opposes the bail application. 5. Considering the submissions made by learned counsel for the parties, considering the nature of allegation and the material collected during the investigation against the present applicant, further considering that there is no criminal antecedent against the applicant under the Gambling Act, the other co-accused persons have been released on bail by the learned trial Court, the offences are triable by Judicial Magistrate First Class and the applicant is in jail since 15-12-2025, I am inclined to release the present applicant on bail. 6. Consequently, this application filed by the applicant under Section 483 of BNSS, 2023 for grant of regular bail is hereby allowed. It is directed that the applicant shall be released on bail on his furnishing a personal bond in the sum of Rs.25,000/- with one surety in the like sum to the satisfaction of the concerned trial Court, on the following conditions :- (i) He shall not, directly or indirectly make any inducement, threat or promise to any person acquainted with the facts of the case so as 3 to dissuade him/her from disclosing such facts to the Court ; (ii) He shall not act, in any manner, which will be prejudicial to fair and expeditious trial; and (iii) He shall appear before the trial Court on each and every date given to him by the said Court till disposal of the trial unless his personal presence is exempted by the trial Court. Sd/- (Ravindra Kumar Agrawal) Judge Aadil