1 CGHC010201252026 2026:CGHC:27865 NAFR HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR MCRCA No. 820 of 2026 1 - Rupesh Khobragade S/o Late Raju Khobragade Aged About 38 Years R/o Sector - D, Yadunandan Nagar, Police Station Sirgitti, Tahsil And District Bilaspur (C.G.) ... Applicant(s) versus 1 - State Of Chhattisgarh Through Station House Officer, Police Station Sirgitti, District Bilaspur (C.G.) ... Non-applicant(s) (Cause title taken from Case Information System) For Applicant (s) : Mr. Gurudev I. Sharan, Advocate For Non-applicant(s) : Mr. Avinash Singh, Govt. Advocate Hon'ble Shri Justice Ravindra Kumar Agrawal, J. Order on Board 06/07/2026 1. This is the anticipatory bail application filed by the applicant under Section 482 of BNSS, 2023. The applicant is apprehending his arrest in connection with Crime No. 251 of 2026 registered at Police Station Sirgitti, District Bilaspur, for the offence punishable under Sections 7 (2) of the Chhattisgarh Gambling (Prohibition) Act, 2022 and Section 112 of Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, 2023. ALOK SHARMA Digitally signed by ALOK SHARMA Date: 2026.07.09 14:38:28 +0530 2 2. The case of the prosecution is that while patrolling, the Police of Police Station, Sirgitti, Dist- Bilaspur, received secret information that some persons are engaged in playing online gambling through their mobile phone near Bazar Chowk, Tifra. When the Police conducted raid there, two persons were found who were engaged in playing online gambling. They disclosed their names Juber Rizvi and Sunny Singh Thakur, who were found playing online gambling through mobile phone in cricket match. They disclosed that the internet link was being provided by the present applicant Rupesh Khobragade and they are betting in cricket match. They also disclosed that the amount of online gambling received through online mode was kept by Rupesh Khobragade and the cash amount was being kept by them. From the accused Juber Rizvi and Sunny Singh Thakur, their mobile phones have been seized and on being examination, various screenshots of online gambling transactions have been recovered and then cash of Rs. 720/- from accused Juber Rizvi and Rs. 970/- have also been seized from the accused Sunny Singh Thakur. They have been arrested and the present applicant is apprehending his arrest in the said crime number. 3. Learned counsel for the applicant would submit that except the memorandum statement of co-accused persons, there is no evidence to connect the applicant in offence in question. The memorandum statement of co-accused persons is not admissible in evidence and even from their mobile phone, there is no any incriminating data recovered by the Police, which directly connected the application in the offence in question. There is no money transactions recovered from the mobile phone of the arrested accused persons. Even from the screenshots of their mobile phones, the involvement of the present 3 applicant does not appear. He would also submit that, although, there was two criminal antecedent against the applicant, but the same was of the year 2015 and 2020 and both the cases have been disposed of by imposing fine upon him. The arrested co-accused persons have been released in regular bail by the learned trial Court. The co-accused Juber Rizvi has been released on bail by the learned trial Court and looking to the allegations as well as material collected by the Police, the applicant may be enlarged on anticipatory bail. 4. On the other hand, learned counsel for the State opposes the submissions made by learned counsel for the applicant and submits that two other accused persons were arrested on the spot and they disclosed that the online link was being provided by the present applicant, through which they engaged in playing online gambling. From their mobile phones, numerous transactions were recovered including screenshots which clearly demonstrate that they were engaged in playing online gambling. There is statement of the witnesses Ajay Sahu and Vyas Jangde, who also stated that the arrested accused persons have disclosed the name of the present applicant that he provided the link for online betting. He would further submit that there are criminal antecedent against the applicant of similar nature of offence of Crime No. 56/2015, registered at Police Station- Sirgitti, District- Bilaspur for the offence under Section 3 Chhattisgarh Online Gambling Act and Crime No. 660/2020, registered at Police Station- Civil Line, Dist- Bilaspur for the offence under Section 4 (a) of Public Gambling Act, 1867. The interrogation is required from the present applicant and therefore, he is not entitled from anticipatory bail. 4 5. I have heard learned counsel for the parties and perused the case diary. 6. Considering the submissions made by learned counsel for the parties, considering the nature of the allegations and the material collected during the investigation, further considering the screenshots and transactions details extracted from the mobile phone of the arrested accused persons and the statement of the witness Ajay Sahu and Vyas Jangde who stated that the other accused persons have disclosed the name of present applicant that he provided the online link for betting further that the applicant is having previous criminal record, I am not inclined to released the applicant on anticipatory bail. 7. Consequently, the anticipatory bail application of the applicant, Rupesh Khobragade, is hereby rejected. Sd/- (Ravindra Kumar Agrawal) Judge Alok