1 CGHC010267202026 2026:CGHC:30174 NAFR HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR MCRC No. 6335 of 2026 Vijay Ravi Son Of Shri Chaituram Ravi, Aged About 35 Years R/o. Village Shashipur, P. S. Jainagar, District Surajpur (C.G.) ... Applicant(s) versus State Of Chhattisgarh Through The Station House Officer, Police Station Jai Nagar, District Surajpur (C.G.) ... Non-Applicant(s) For Applicant : Mr. Pushpendra Kumar Patel, Advocate. For Non-Applicant : Mr. Sangharsh Pandey, Government Advocate. Hon'ble Shri Ramesh Sinha, Chief Justice Order on Board 16.07.2026 1. The applicant has preferred this First Bail Application under Section 483 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 for grant of regular bail, as he has been arrested in connection with Crime No. 184/2024 for the offence punishable under Sections 108 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. 2. Case of the prosecution, in brief, is that on 10.08.2024, the applicant Vijay Ravi, who is the husband of the deceased Simun, lodged a report stating that his first wife Simun had committed suicide by hanging herself in her room during the intervening night of 09.08.2024-10.08.2024. It is alleged that the applicant was KUNAL DEWANGAN Digitally signed by KUNAL DEWANGAN 2 residing with his first wife Simun and his second wife Aanchal Pando in the same house. According to the initial report lodged by the applicant, the deceased had consumed liquor on the previous night and was quarrelling with him, whereupon the applicant objected to her habit of spending household money on liquor. Thereafter, the deceased went to her room and on the next morning, was found hanging. During the merg inquiry, however, the statements of the parents and other relatives of the deceased were recorded, wherein they alleged that ever since the applicant had brought his second wife, Aanchal Pando, to reside with him, both the applicant and Aanchal Pando used to frequently consume liquor, quarrel with, assault and mentally as well as physically harass the deceased. It also came to light that an earlier FIR bearing Crime No.49/2024 had been registered against the applicant at the instance of the deceased for the offences under Sections 294, 323 and 506 of the IPC. During inquest proceedings, several ante-mortem injuries, including contusions on different parts of the body, were noticed on the person of the deceased. Though the post-mortem report opined the cause of death to be asphyxia due to hanging and the nature of death as suicidal, the investigating agency found prima facie material indicating that the continuous physical and mental cruelty inflicted upon the deceased by the applicant and co-accused Aanchal Pando had driven her to commit suicide. Accordingly, Crime was registered against them under Sections 108 and 3(5) of the BNS and, after completion of 3 investigation, charge-sheet has been filed before the competent Court. 3. Learned counsel for the applicant submits that the applicant is the husband of the deceased and the deceased was his first wife, while his second wife, namely Aanchal Pando, was also residing with them. He submits that the deceased was addicted to consumption of liquor and frequently quarrelled with the applicant whenever he objected to her habit of spending household money on liquor. He further submits that due to such personal reasons and her own conduct, the deceased committed suicide and the applicant has been falsely implicated merely because he is the husband of the deceased. He further submits that the material collected during investigation does not satisfy the essential ingredients of the offence punishable under Section 108 of the BNS. He also submits that the charge-sheet has already been filed before the competent Court and no further custodial interrogation of the applicant is required and the applicant is in jail since 24.08.2024. Therefore, it is prayed that the applicant be enlarged on bail. 4. On the other hand, learned State counsel opposes the prayer for grant of bail and submits that the applicant is the husband of the deceased and the material collected during investigation clearly reveals that after bringing his second wife, namely Aanchal Pando, to reside in the same house, the applicant continuously subjected the deceased/first wife to physical and mental cruelty, due to which she was driven to commit suicide. He further submits that even prior to the present incident, an FIR bearing Crime No.49/2024 had been 4 registered by the deceased herself against the applicant for the offences punishable under Sections 294, 323 and 506 of the IPC, which clearly demonstrates the continuous harassment meted out to her. He further submits that the inquest proceedings and post- mortem report reveal several ante-mortem injuries, including contusions on different parts of the body, apart from the ligature mark on the neck, though the cause of death has been opined to be hanging. He submits that the statements of the parents and other prosecution witnesses also consistently support the prosecution case that the deceased was subjected to continuous physical and mental harassment by the applicant and co-accused. Therefore, considering the gravity of the allegations and the material collected during investigation, no case for grant of bail is made out. 5. I have heard learned counsel for the parties and perused the bail application as well as case diary with utmost circumspection. 6. Considering the facts and circumstances of the case and submissions made by learned counsel for the parties and also considering the case diary, the prosecution story, the statement of witnesses recorded under Section 180 of BNSS, the post-mortem report of the deceased, wherein multiple ante-mortem injuries were found over the person of the deceased including contusion over the right temporal region, contusion near the right eyebrow, ligature mark over the neck, contusion over the right thigh and injury over the right shoulder/scapular region, coupled with the opinion that the cause of death was asphyxia due to hanging and the death was suicidal in nature and further considering the material available on 5 record prima facie indicating that the applicant, who is the husband of the deceased, along with co-accused Aanchal Pando i.e. his second wife, had been continuously subjecting the deceased/first wife to physical and mental cruelty on account of domestic disputes, and that an earlier FIR bearing Crime No.49/2024 under Sections 294, 323 and 506 of IPC had also been registered against the applicant at the instance of the deceased regarding assault and harassment, which lends support to the prosecution case of continuous cruelty, this Court is of the considered opinion that at this stage sufficient prima facie material is available to indicate that the persistent harassment meted out by the applicant drove the deceased to commit suicide. Looking to the nature and gravity of the allegations, the relationship between the parties, the material collected during investigation and the evidence available on record, this Court is not inclined to enlarge the applicant on bail. 7. Accordingly, the bail application of applicant- Vijay Ravi, involved in Crime No. 184/2024 for the offence punishable under Sections 108 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, is rejected. 8. Needless to say that the trial Court concerned is at liberty to proceed and conclude the trial expeditiously. 9. Office is directed to send a certified copy of this order to the trial Court concerned for necessary information and compliance forthwith. Sd/- (Ramesh Sinha) Chief Justice Kunal