1 2026:CGHC:27337-DB NAFR HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR WPCR No. 357 of 2026 D.K. Soni S/o Late Ramji Prasad Soni Aged About 48 Years R/o Nawapara Ambikapur District Surguja C.G. ... Petitioner(s) versus 1 - State Of Chhattisgarh Through- Secretary Department Of Home Affairs, Mahanadi Bhawan Atal Nagar Naya Raipur C.G. 2 - Director General Of Police Chhattisgarh Police Headquarters, Nava Raipur Atal Nagar Raipur C.G. 3 - Superintendent Of Police Sarguja S.P. Office Ambikapur District Sarguja C.G. 4 - Station In-Charge P.S. Ambikapur District Sarguja C.G. 5 - D.S. Bhagat S/o Late Jagna Ram Bhagat Aged About 62 Years R/o Behind Swami Vivekanand School Shanti Vihar Colony Daganiya District Raipur Chhattisgarh Chief Engineer In The Office Of The Executive Director Chhattisgarh State Power Distribution Company Limited (C S P D C L) Ambikapur District Surguja Chhattisgarh. 6 - Rejesh Lakda S/o Shri Amit Kumar Verma Aged About 38 Years R/o Occupation Superintendent Engineer, In The Office Of The Executive Director, Chhattisgarh State Power Distribution Company Limited (C.S.P.D.C.L.) Ambikapur District Surguja Chhattisgarh. 7 - Prabjot Singh Bhalla S/o Sangeet Kumar Sahu Aged About 39 Years R/o Occupation M/s R.K. Associates, M/s Matrix Service Darripara Ambikapur District Surguaj C.G. ... Respondent(s) MANPREET KAUR Digitally signed by MANPREET KAUR Date: 2026.07.03 15:57:22 +0530 2 For Petitioner(s) : Ms. Sweksha Sharma, Advocate For Respondent(s) : Mr. Priyank Rathi, G.A. Hon'ble Shri Ramesh Sinha, Chief Justice Hon'ble Shri Ravindra Kumar Agrawal , Judge Judgment on Board Per Ramesh Sinha , Chief Justice 03.07.2026 1. Heard Ms. Sweksha Sharma, learned counsel for the petitioner. Also heard Mr. Priyank Rathi, learned Government Advocate for respondents / State. 2. The present writ petition has been filed by the petitioner with the following prayers: “i. That, this Hon'ble Court may kindly be pleased to direct the respondent police authorities to file the final report in FIR No. 282/2025 pending investigation before P.S- Ambikapur, District- Sarguja (C.G) for offences punishable under Section 409, 419, 420, 467, 468, 471 Indian Penal Code, 1860. ii. Any other relief, which this Hon'ble court deems, fit in the facts and circumstances may also be granted in favour of the petitioner.” 3. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the petitioner was constrained to invoke the jurisdiction of the Learned Chief Judicial Magistrate, Ambikapur, by filing an application under Section 156(3) of the Cr.P.C., 1973, pursuant to which FIR No. 282/2025 dated 3 27.04.2025 came to be registered under Sections 409, 419, 420, 467, 468 and 471 of the IPC against the officials of Chhattisgarh State Power Distribution Company Limited, Ambikapur, and the concerned contractors for their alleged involvement in a criminal conspiracy relating to fraudulent release of payments on the basis of manipulated attendance records, forged EPF/ESI documents and fabricated statutory records, causing wrongful loss of approximately Rs.1,82,86,907/- to the State-owned Company. It is submitted that although one of the accused has been granted anticipatory bail by this Court and the anticipatory bail applications of the remaining accused persons have already been rejected by the learned Sessions Court, the investigation has remained pending for an inordinately long period despite lapse of considerable time from the registration of the FIR. Learned counsel further submits that repeated representations made by the petitioner requesting expeditious completion of the investigation have yielded no result and neither has the investigation been concluded nor has the final report/charge-sheet been filed before the competent Court. Such unexplained inaction on the part of the investigating agency, despite the serious nature of the allegations involving large- scale misappropriation of public funds, is arbitrary, unreasonable and contrary to the settled principles requiring a fair, prompt and effective investigation. It is, therefore, prayed that this Court may be pleased to issue appropriate directions to the respondent authorities to complete the investigation within a time-bound period and submit the final report before the competent Court in accordance with law. 4 4. On a specific query put by this Court regarding the status of investigation and filing of the charge-sheet, learned State counsel submitted that the investigation is at its concluding stage and sought four weeks’ time for filing of the police report. 5. Considering the submissions advanced by learned counsel for the parties and upon perusal of the material available on record, this Court deems it appropriate to dispose of the present petition with a direction to the respondent authorities to conclude the investigation and file the charge-sheet/final report strictly in accordance with law within a period of four weeks from the date of receipt of a certified copy of this order. Accordingly, the petition stands disposed of. Sd/- Sd/- (Ravindra Kumar Agrawal) (Ramesh Sinha) Judge Chief Justice Manpreet