2026:CGHC:24056 NAFR HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR MCRC No. 3086 of 2026 Praveen Soni S/o Jugal Kishore Soni Aged About 25 Years R/o S. J. Jewelers, Station Chowk, Nevra, P/s Nevra, Tehsil - Tilda, District- Raipur, C.G. --- Applicant(s) versus State Of Chhattisgarh Through P/s Rakhi, District- Raipur, (C.G.) (P/s Name Is Wrongly Mentioned In The Impugned Order) --- Respondent(s) MCRC No. 4410 of 2026 Shubham Sahu S/o Manharan Sahu Aged About 24 Years R/o Shivanand Nagar, Khamtarai, Raipur, Tahsil And District- Raipur (C.G.) ---Applicant(s) Versus State Of Chhattisgarh Through Station House Officer Police Station- Rakhi, Raipur, District- Raipur (C.G.) --- Respondent(s) MCRC No. 3646 of 2026 Abdul Hidayat Khan S/o Firoz Khan Aged About 24 Years R/o Sanjay Nagar, Infront Of Jhanda Chowk, Tahsil And District- Raipur (C.G.) ---Applicant(s) Versus State Of Chhattisgarh Through - The Station House Officer, Police Of Police Station- Rakhi, District- Raipur (C.G.) --- Respondent(s) MCRC No. 3588 of 2026 1 - Rupesh Sinha S/o Lala Ram Sinha Aged About 30 Years R/o Ramsagar Para, Behind Dr. Sahu Gali, Beside Chan Sales P.S. Azad Chowk, Raipur Chhattisgarh 2 - Yogesh @ Lalla Yadav S/o Late Santosh Kumar Yadav Aged About 21 Years R/o Shukwari Bazar Kaleshwar Mandir In Front Of Pawan Bhawan, P.S. Gudhiyari, District Raipur Chhattisgarh. ---Applicant(s) Versus State Of Chhattisgarh Through Station House Officer, Police Station House Officer, Police Station Rakhi Raipur, District Raipur (C.G.) --- Respondent(s) For Applicant(s) in MCRC No.3086 of 2026 : Mr. Vinay Nagdev, Advocate. For Applicant(s) in MCRC No.3588 of 2026 : Mr. Pushpendra Kumar Patel, Advocate. For Applicant(s) in MCRC No.3646 of 2026 : Mr. Shikhar Sharma, Advocate. For Applicant(s) in MCRC No.4410 of 2026 : Mr. C.R. Sahu, Advocate. For Respondent(s) : Ms. Vaishali Mahilang, Dy. G.A. Hon'ble Mr. Ramesh Sinha, Chief Justice Order on Board 16/06/2026 1. The above mentioned four bail application arise out of same crime number, they are clubbed and heard together and are being disposed of by this common order. 2. These are the first bail applications filed under Section 483 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (for short ‘BNSS’) for grant of regular bail to the applicants who have been arrested in connection with Crime No. 157/2025 registered at Police Station Rakhi Raipur, District Raipur (C.G.) under Sections 317(2), 317(4), 317(5), 111, 3(5) of BNS. 3. Case of the prosecution, in brief, is that as per information was received through the "Samanvaya" Portal of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), Ministry of Home Affairs, regarding several mule bank accounts maintained in Punjab National Bank, Raipur, which were allegedly used for receiving, transferring and utilizing money obtained through cyber fraud. On the basis of such information and complaints registered on the National Cyber Crime Portal (1930), Crime No. 157/2025 was registered at Cyber Police Station/Rakhi, Raipur, for offences punishable under Sections 317(2), 317(4), 317(5), 111 and 3(5) of the B.N.S. During investigation, it was revealed that the applicants and co-accused persons had allegedly opened or arranged multiple bank accounts and, in consideration of monetary benefits, provided or sold such accounts, ATM cards, passbooks and banking credentials to other persons. The investigation further disclosed that these accounts were used as mule accounts for routing and concealing money derived from cyber fraud and online gaming-related transactions. The prosecution alleges that the applicants, in conspiracy with the co- accused persons, facilitated the operation of mule bank accounts and knowingly assisted in the receipt, transfer, concealment and utilization of proceeds of cyber fraud. After completion of investigation, a charge-sheet was filed against the accused persons, while investigation against certain other accused persons continued. Hence, the bail application. 4. Learned counsel for the applicant in MCRC No.3086 of 2026 submits that the applicant was arrested on 21.12.2025 in connection with the alleged offences punishable under Sections 317(2), 317(4), 317(5), 3(5) and 111 of the B.N.S. and has been in judicial custody since then. The investigation is complete and the charge-sheet has already been filed. Therefore, no further custodial interrogation of the applicant is required and no useful purpose would be served by keeping him in continued detention. He also submits that the applicant has been implicated primarily on the basis of the memorandum statement of the co-accused and his own memorandum statement. No incriminating article was recovered or seized at the instance of the applicant, nor did any new fact emerge from his memorandum. Apart from such memorandum statements, there is no cogent, reliable or independent material connecting the applicant with the alleged offence and, therefore, the prosecution case against him is highly doubtful. He later submit that the applicant has no criminal antecedent. Therefore, he prays for grant of regular bail to the applicant. 5. Learned counsel for the applicants in MCRC No.3588 of 2026 submits that the allegations levelled against the applicants are false, fabricated and devoid of merit. The applicants have neither committed any act of cheating nor played any role in the alleged offence and have been falsely implicated in the present case. He further submits that the applicants have been arraigned as accused merely on the basis of suspicion without there being any sufficient material on record connecting them with the alleged crime. No credible evidence has been collected during investigation to establish their involvement in the commission of the alleged offences. He also submits that there is no documentary evidence to show that the applicants received, transferred or misappropriated any of the alleged amount. The prosecution has failed to produce any material substantiating the alleged transactions and, therefore, the applicants have been wrongly arrested on the basis of unsubstantiated allegations. He later submit that the applicants have no criminal antecedents and are in jail since 21.12.2025. Therefore, he prays for grant of regular bail to the applicants. 6. Learned counsel for the applicant in MCRC No.3646 of 2026 submits that the present applicant has been falsely implicated in the present case merely on the basis of suspicion and the memorandum statement of the co-accused. Except for such memorandum statement, there is no cogent material available on record connecting the applicant with the alleged offence. He further submits that the allegation against the applicant is only with regard to certain deposits made in his bank account. There is no allegation or material to show that the applicant himself committed any online fraud or cheated any person. The alleged act of cheating, if any, has been committed by some other persons, and the applicant has been implicated solely on account of suspicion. He also submits that the applicant is in judicial custody since 21.12.2025 and has no criminal antecedent. The charge-sheet has already been filed and, therefore, his further custodial interrogation is not required. As the trial is likely to take considerable time for its conclusion, the applicant deserves to be enlarged on regular bail. Therefore, he prays for grant of regular bail to the applicant. 7. Learned counsel for the applicants in MCRC No.4410 of 2026 submits that the present applicant has been falsely implicated in the instant crime solely on the basis of the memorandum statements of the co-accused persons. The applicant is a regular student pursuing a Diploma in Civil Engineering and there is no independent material available on record connecting him with the alleged offence. He further submits that the prosecution has failed to collect sufficient material to establish the involvement of the applicant in any cyber crime. No incriminating article has been seized from his possession and there is no evidence to show that he acted in the manner alleged by the prosecution. He also submits that considering the material available on record, no prima facie case is made out against the present applicant. The essential ingredients of the offences alleged are not attracted against him and his implication appears to be based merely on suspicion and unsubstantiated allegations. He later submit that the applicant has no criminal antecedent and is in jail since 21.12.2025. Therefore, he prays for grant of regular bail to the applicant. 8. On the other hand, learned counsel appearing for the State/non- applicant would oppose the bail application and submit that the charge-sheet has been filed in the present case before the competent Court. She further submits that in compliance of the Court’s order dated 05.05.2026 (MCRC Nos. 3086/2026, 3588/2026 and 3646/2026), 12.05.2026 (MCRC No.4410/2026) the concerned Investigating Officer has filed his affidavit disclosing the evidence collected during the course of the investigation. 9. I have heard learned counsel appearing for the parties and perused the materials available on record. 10. From perusal of the affidavit filed by the concerned Investigating Officer in compliance of the Court’s order dated 05.05.2026 (MCRC Nos. 3086/2026, 3588/2026 and 3646/2026), 12.05.2026 (MCRC No.4410/2026), it appears that on the basis of information received from the National Cyber Crime Reporting Coordination Portal (NCRP/1930), it was revealed that nearly 100 bank accounts opened in Punjab National Bank, Raipur Branch, were being utilized for receiving and routing proceeds of online cyber frauds committed across various States of the country. Accordingly, details of such suspicious bank accounts were forwarded to the concerned Police Stations and Crime No. 157/2025 was registered for offences punishable under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. Thereafter, the matter was transferred to Police Station Range Cyber, Raipur for detailed investigation. During investigation, account details, KYC documents, linked mobile numbers, transaction histories and other relevant records were obtained from the concerned bank and examined. During the course of investigation, it was found that the present accused persons, namely, Praveen Soni, Shubham Sahu, Rupesh Sinha and Abdul Hidayat Khan, were actively involved in operating and facilitating mule bank accounts which were used for receiving, withdrawing and transferring proceeds of cyber frauds. Investigation revealed that mule account holders were induced to open bank accounts and thereafter hand over their passbooks, ATM cards, cheque books, SIM cards and complete banking kits to other accused persons in consideration of monetary commissions. Memorandum statements recorded during investigation disclosed a well-organized chain whereby bank accounts were procured, sold and further utilized for routing fraud amounts received from victims across the country. The accused persons have specifically disclosed the roles played by each of them in procuring bank accounts, transferring account kits, withdrawing fraud proceeds and forwarding the same to other members of the syndicate. 11. The investigation further revealed that bank account No. 7484000100017644, linked with accused persons Yogesh @ Lalla Yadav, Shubham Sahu and Praveen Soni, was used in connection with multiple cyber fraud complaints and witnessed transactions exceeding ₹32 lakh. Similarly, bank account No. 7685000100035258 belonging to accused Rupesh Sinha reflected credits of ₹17,85,765/-, whereas bank account No. 6113000100062749 belonging to accused Abdul Hidayat Khan reflected credits of ₹3,28,719/-. The investigation has established that these accounts were used for receiving and routing fraud proceeds generated through online financial frauds and cyber crimes committed against victims situated in different States. During investigation, several complaints registered on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (1930) were traced to the aforesaid bank accounts. The complaints originated from different States including Bihar, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. The complaint details, transaction records and banking documents collected during investigation prima facie establish that the bank accounts linked with the accused persons were utilized as channels for receiving and transferring amounts obtained through online financial frauds perpetrated against unsuspecting victims. The investigation also disclosed that the accused persons were acting in concert with each other and with other absconding co- accused persons. Statements recorded under investigation reveal that the accused persons were receiving commissions ranging from Rs.2,000/- to Rs.30,000/- per account and were knowingly facilitating operation of such bank accounts for illegal monetary gain. The modus operandi adopted by the accused persons demonstrates a structured and organized mechanism involving procurement of bank accounts, collection of banking credentials, withdrawal of fraud proceeds and transfer of funds to other members of the network, from the material collected during investigation, including bank records, KYC documents, linked mobile numbers, transaction details, memorandum statements of co-accused persons and information received through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, it is evident that the accused persons were part of an organized criminal network engaged in facilitating online financial frauds. The investigation prima facie indicates the existence of a criminal syndicate operating through multiple mule bank accounts for commission- based financial gains. 12. As such considering the nature of allegations, the magnitude of transactions involved, the inter-State ramifications of the offence, the organized manner in which the accused persons operated and the affidavit filed by the concerned Investigating Officers, this Court is of the opinion that it is not a fit case to enlarge the applicants on bail. 13. Accordingly, the bail applications of applicants - Praveen Soni, Shubham Sahu, Abdul Hidayat Khan, Rupesh Sinha and Yogesh @ Lalla Yadav involved in Crime No. 157/2025 registered at Police Station Rakhi Raipur, District Raipur (C.G.) under Sections 317(2), 317(4), 317(5), 111, 3(5) of BNS, are rejected. 14. Needless to say that the trial Court concerned is at liberty to proceed and concluded the trial expeditiously. 15. Office is directed to send a certified copy of this order to the trial Court for necessary information and compliance. Sd/- (Ramesh Sinha) CHIEF JUSTICE Akhil