1 CGHC010218682026 2026:CGHC:30244 NAFR HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR MCRCA No.854 of 2026 • Hiralal S/o Purnaram Aged About 37 Years R/o 12 Jat Mohalla, Dharmas Bikaner, Migasriya , Rajasthan (Wrong Address Is Mentioned In The Order Sheet, Correct Address Is Mentioned Here) ... Applicant versus • State Of Chhattisgarh Through Police Station Telibandha, Distt- Raipur (C.G.) ... Non-applicant For Applicant : Mr. Pragalbha Sharma, Advocate. For State/Non-applicant : Mr. Sumit Singh, Deputy A.G. Hon'ble Mr. Ramesh Sinha, Chief Justice Order on Board 16.07.2026 1. This first anticipatory bail application filed under Section 482 of the Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 has been filed by the applicant, who is apprehending his arrest in connection with Crime No.172/2026 registered at Police Station Telibandha, District Raipur (C.G.) for the offence punishable under Section 318(4) of B.N.S., 2023. 2. The prosecution's case, in brief, is that on 09.04.2026 the complainant, Karan Sharma, was sent from Mumbai to Raipur by his employer to collect a hawala payment of ₹ 35,00,000. On 11.04.2026, Karan successfully collected the cash near Corum Complex in Telibandha Digitally signed by R NIRALA 2 after verifying a Rs.20 note serial number with a contact. Subsequently, his employer instructed him to deliver the money to an individual at mobile number 7879270047, who sent Karan a verification serial number (33E477130) via WhatsApp and directed him to coordinate the physical handover with another person using mobile number 9121195641. Karan met this unknown individual near Currency Tower in Telibandha, verified Rs.2 note bearing the provided serial number, and handed over the bag containing the Rs. 35 lakhs. Immediately after the exchange, Karan sent a photo of the note to his employer, who alerted him that the correct verification number was actually 17B224228 and that he should not handover the money, but the accused had already absconded with the cash. Based on above facts, police registered case against the applicant. Hence, this application. 3. Learned counsel for the applicant would submit that the applicant is innocent and he has been falsely implicated in crime in question. It is further submitted that complainant and employer of the applicant were dealing unaccounted and illegal money, explicitly acknowledging the amount as a “hawala payment”. Complainant has approached the police with unclean hands to recover illegal hawala money. He further submits that there is a delay in lodging the FIR, the incident occurred on 11.04.2026 and the FIR was registered on 12.04.2026, which clearly indicates that the FIR is concocted afterthought, drafted after legal consultation just to implicate the present applicant, therefore, he prays for grant of anticipatory bail to the applicant. 4. On the other hand, learned State counsel for the non-applicant/State, opposes the anticipatory bail application of the applicant and submits that the applicant committed fraud with the complainant and his 3 employer and hawala money of Rs.35 Lakhs by impersonating him a person who was about to receive money through complainant sent by his employer and the money was to be verified through a Rs.20 note serial number but the applicant by cheating fraud took the aforesaid money and when the complainant and his employer came to know about the same, he already ran away and presently he is absconding. He further submitted that the matter is already under investigation and to find out the real culprit and the cartel, interrogation of the applicant is essential, as such the applicant may not be released on anticipatory bail at this stage. 5. I have heard learned counsel for the parties and perused the case diary. 6. Considering the facts & circumstances of the case, nature and gravity of offence and further considering that the applicant is alleged to have involved in embezzlement of hawala money of Rs.35 Lakhs, which he took from the complainant by impersonating him as a person who was about to receive money through complainant sent by his employer and took the entire money and is absconding and the investigation is already going on in the matter and the applicant needs to be interrogated, therefore, this Court does not deem it appropriate to release the applicant on anticipatory bail at this stage. 7. 7. Accordingly, the anticipatory bail application of the applicant – Hiralal, involved in Crime No.172/2026 registered at Police Station Telibandha, District Raipur (C.G.) for the offence punishable under Section 318(4) of B.N.S., 2023, is rejected. Sd/- (Ramesh Sinha) Chief Justice Nirala