1 2026:CGHC:24480 NAFR HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR MCRC No. 4857 of 2026 Premchand Gajlal Lilhare S/o Gajlal Lilhare Aged About 52 Years R/o Village- Khedapar Post Office - Sonpuri Ps Salekasa District- Gondia Maharashtra ... Petitioner(s) versus State Of Chhattisgarh Through- Police Station Khairagarh District- Khairagarh Chhuikhadan Gandai (C.G.) ... Respondent(s) For Petitioner(s) : Mr. Shobhit Koshta, Advocate For Respondent(s) : Ms. Supriya Upasane, G.A. for the State (Hon’ble Shri Justice Ravindra Kumar Agrawal, J.) Order on Board 17/06/2026 1. This is the third bail application of the applicant. The first bail application of the applicant has been dismissed as withdrawn from this Court vide order dated 27.11.2024 passed in MCRC No. 5638/2024 SUMIT KUMAR Digitally signed by SUMIT KUMAR Date: 2026.06.19 11:01:14 +0530 2 with liberty to repeat the same after examination of two witnesses Pappu @ Heeralal and Pukhraj, thereafter, the second bail application of the applicant has been dismissed vide order dated 14.01.2025 passed in MCRC No. 9100/2024 on the ground that without availing the liberty so granted in the earlier bail application, the applicant has filed the second bail application and the said two witnesses were get to examine, now, the present is the third bail application of the applicant. The applicant is claiming regular bail who is in jail since 14.05.2024 in connection with crime No.220/2024 registered at police station – Khairagarh, District – Khairagarh Chhuikhadan Gandai (C.G.) for the offence under Section 302, 120-B and 34 of the IPC. 2. The case of the prosecution is that on 11.05.2024, police was informed about the dead body lying at Dongargarh road near culvert at Kumhi. The dead body was identified from Adhar Card found in the pocket of the pant. On postmortem of the dead body the doctor opined that the deceased died due to homicidal death. During the investigation police received information that the deceased taken breakfast alongwith other persons at Bajrang Hotel, Itwari Bazar and after breakfast they left the place through Scorpio vehicle. When the CCTV footage of the said hotel was viewed one person was identified as Hemant Dekwar. On being interrogation he disclosed that to grab the insurance claim of the deceased he along with other co-accused persons, Suresh Machhiske and Premchand Tilhare committed murder of deceased Uttam Janghel by strangulation at Gatapar jungle and put the dead body on the culvert to give it a shape of accident. Thereafter, the dead body was crushed through the said Scorpio vehicle. The memorandum statement of two 3 other co-accused persons have been recorded including the present applicant and seizure have been made on their disclosure statement. The mobile call details have also been obtained from Cyber Cell. The relevant documents of insurance policy have also been seized by police and after completion of the investigation charge sheet has been filed against the applicant and two other co-accused persons. 3. Learned counsel for the applicant would submit that while considering the earlier two bail applications, the witnesses Pappu @ Heeralal and Pukhraj were not examined, however, at present they have been examined and not supported the prosecution’s case. There is no sufficient evidence against the present applicant that he too was involved in commission of the murder of the deceased alongwith other co-accused, there is no eye-witness to the incident and the case of the prosecution against the present applicant is only based upon the memorandum and seizure witnesses who have not supported the prosecution’s case in their evidence. The applicant is in jail since 14.05.2024 and 20 witnesses out of total 31 cited witnesses have been examined and the trial of the case will take some time, therefore, he be enlarged on bail. 4. On the other hand learned counsel for the State opposes and has submitted that the earlier two bail applications of the applicant has been rejected by this Court. The trial of the case is in progress and 20 witnesses out of total 31 witnesses have been examined and the trial is at advance stage. The evidences of the witnesses are to be examined by the learned trial Court about his involvement in the offence. She would also submit that the bail application of the co-accused Suresh 4 Kumar has been rejected by this Court on 20.04.2026 in MCRC No. 3572/2026 and the allegation against the present applicant is similar to the allegations against the co-accused Suresh Kumar, therefore, the applicant may not be released on bail. 5. I have heard learned counsel for the parties and perused the material annexed with the bail application as well as the case diary. 6. Considering the submissions made by learned counsel for the parties, considering the nature of allegation, material collected during the investigation, further considering that earlier two bail applications of the applicant has been rejected, the bail application of the co-accused Suresh Kumar has also been rejected in MCRC No. 3572/2026 vide order dated 20.04.2026 and further that out of total 31 witnesses 20 witness have already been examined and the trial is at advance stage, therefore, I am not inclined to release the applicant on bail. 7. Accordingly, this third bail application of the present applicant Premchand Gajlal Lilhare is dismissed at the motion stage. 8. Considering the detention period of the applicant, the learned trial Court is directed to expedite the trial of the case. Sd/- (Ravindra Kumar Agrawal) JUDGE Sumit