1 CGHC010208792026 2026:CGHC:33053 NAFR HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR MCRCA No. 828 of 2026 Bramha Nand Khemani S/o Sabhag Chand Khemani, Aged About 65 Years R/o - Maruti Enclave Colony, Near Church, Tatibandh, Distt. Raipur (C.G.) ... Applicant versus State Of Chhattisgarh Through Station House Officer P. S. - Ganj Raipur, Distt. - Raipur (C.G.) ... Respondent (Cause title taken from Case Information System) For Applicant : Mr. Rajnish Singh Baghel, Advocate For Respondent/State : Mr. Ghanshyam Kashyap, Deputy G.A. Hon'ble Shri Justice Ravindra Kumar Agrawal Order on Board 30/07/2026 1. The present is an application under Section 482 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 seeking for grant of anticipatory bail to the applicant, who is apprehending his arrest in connection with Crime No. 110 of 2026, registered at Police Station Ganj, District Raipur (C.G.) for the offence punishable under Section 7 of the Chhattisgarh Gambling (Prohibition) Act, 2022 and Section 112(2) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. VED PRAKASH DEWANGAN Digitally signed by VED PRAKASH DEWANGAN Date: 2026.08.01 16:24:58 +0530 2 2. The case of the prosecution, in brief, is that on 13.04.2026, while the police personnel of Police Station Ganj were on patrolling duty, they received a secret information that one person was indulge in online betting on an IPL cricket match through mobile phones and from his Honda City car bearing registration No. CG04/NS/5007 near Nagorao Gali Underbridge. Acting upon the said information, the police conducted a raid and apprehended co-accused Mandeep Singh, who was found inside the said vehicle. During his personal search, one mobile phone and cash amounting to ₹95,000/- were seized. 3. During interrogation, Mandeep Singh, in his memorandum statement, disclosed that he was engaged in online cricket betting through the betting application "3 Stumps" and that co-accused Babu Khemani was the owner and operator of the said online betting platform. He has further stated that Kamlesh Dewangan, acting as the agent of Babu Khemani, used to collect cash generated from the betting activities. He also disclosed the names of Karan Khemani, Brahmanand Khemani, Shrikant Sinha, Vijay Pinjwani, Amit Andani, Harsh Nagdev, Vinod Nara, Akash and Rishikesh, along with their respective mobile numbers, alleging that they were operating online betting panels for IPL cricket matches from Pune, Mumbai and Goa. 4. The investigation further revealed, from the mobile phones seized from co-accused Mandeep Singh and Babu Khemani, electronic records reflecting ID-based transactions and telephonic communications between mobile number of Kamlesh Dewangan i.e. 9617831722, Karan Khemani i.e. 8433347333 and 9300660006, Brahmanand Khemani i.e. 9993097804 and Shrikant Sinha i.e. 7000866106. The 3 call and transaction details also indicated interactions between Kamlesh Dewangan and Karan Khemani, Brahmanand Khemani and Shrikant Sinha, through their respective mobile numbers. On the basis of the electronic evidence so collected, the involvement of the accused persons in conducting online gambling in IPL cricket betting was prima facie revealed. Consequently, the present crime was registered and investigation commenced. 5. During the course of investigation, the memorandum statement of Gulshan @ Babu Khemani was also recorded, wherein he allegedly disclosed the involvement of the other accused persons namely; Vishal Kashyap and Rohit Singh, stating that they were managing cash transactions through various bank accounts. He further disclosed the modus operandi adopted by the syndicate in conducting online gambling operations, acquiring immovable properties at different places, and the respective roles played by the other accused persons. He also disclosed that he and his brother Karan Khemani provided four helpline numbers through their ID and when the customers forwarded a "Hi" message, after sending a welcome message, they were asked to choose between deposit and withdrawal. Upon selecting the deposit option, their employees, namely Manoj, Akshay and Vinod, provided the details of mule accounts through mobile number 9399898366. Thereafter, the customers deposited the amount online, following which corresponding betting points were credited to their IDs on 55exchange.com, and through this mode they were engaged in online gambling. The details of the mule accounts, ATM cards and PIN numbers were stated to be in the possession of his 4 brother, Karan Khemani. On the basis of the aforesaid material collected during the investigation, the present FIR came to be registered, in connection with which the applicant is apprehending his arrest. 6. Mr. Rajnish Singh Baghel, learned counsel appearing for the applicant, would submit that there is no material available on record to establish the involvement of the present applicant in the alleged online gambling activities along with the other accused persons. He would contend that, except for the memorandum statements of the co-accused persons, there is no independent or legally admissible evidence against the applicant. It is further submitted that the applicant is running a mobile phone shop and is also engaged in the real estate business, and only general and omnibus allegations have been levelled against him regarding his alleged involvement in the online gambling syndicate. Learned counsel would further submit that no incriminating material connecting the applicant with the alleged offence could be extracted from the mobile phones seized from the co- accused persons. There is also no Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report or Cyber Forensic Expert's report establishing any electronic link between the applicant and the other accused persons or the alleged betting activities. It is further submitted that the applicant is about 65 years of age, has no criminal antecedents, enjoys a good reputation in the locality and society, and there is no likelihood of his absconding or tampering with the prosecution evidence. Therefore, it is prayed that the applicant be granted the benefit of anticipatory bail. 5 7. Per contra, learned counsel appearing for the State opposes the submissions advanced on behalf of the applicant and would submit that the allegations against the present applicant are grave and serious in nature. It is contended that, during the course of investigation, the memorandum statement of co-accused Mandeep Singh, Kamlesh Dewangan, Sandeep Israni @ Golu, Masnun Raza and Babu @ Gulshan Khemani (son of the present applicant and co- accused in the case) were recorded, wherein they disclosed the involvement of the present applicant in the offence in question and also explained the manner in which they were allegedly operating the online betting platform by distributing and sharing different responsibilities amongst themselves. It is, therefore, submitted that the present applicant was actively associated with the operation of the online betting syndicate and is not entitled to the discretionary relief of anticipatory bail. 8. Learned State counsel would further submit that the investigation has revealed that the applicant was an active member of a well-organized syndicate engaged in conducting online cricket betting through the website/application "3 Stumps". The electronic evidence collected during the investigation, including screenshots recovered from the mobile phones seized from the accused persons relating to online betting transactions, bank account details, and other materials available in the case diary regarding acquisition of immovable properties at different places out of the proceeds of the illegal betting activities, prima facie establish the involvement of the present applicant in the commission of the offence. It is further submitted that a 6 large number of electronic devices, ATM cards, passbooks and cheque books have been seized from the possession of various co-accused persons during the investigation, which further corroborate the existence of a well-organized online betting syndicate. 9. It is also submitted that the bail applications of the co-accused persons, namely, Fatte Singh Yadav, Tulsidas Namdev, Shatrughan Kumar Komre, Sandeep Israni, Masnun Raza, Shubham Sitlani and Sanni Dewangan, have already been rejected by this Court vide order dated 06.07.2026 passed in MCRC No. 5470 of 2026 and other connected matters. Since the allegations against the present applicant stand on the same footing as those levelled against the aforesaid co- accused persons, whose regular bail application has already been rejected, the present applicant is not entitled to the grant of anticipatory bail. 10. I have heard the learned counsel for the parties and perused the case diary. 11. Having considered the nature and gravity of the allegations, the material collected during the course of investigation and the submissions advanced by the learned counsel for the parties, this Court finds that a strong prima facie case is made out against the present applicant. The memorandum statement of co-accused Mandeep Singh, Kamlesh Dewangan, Sandeep Israni @ Golu, Masnun Raza and Babu @ Gulshan Khemani (son of the present applicant and co-accused in the case) read in conjunction with the electronic evidence collected during the investigation, including mobile 7 phone data, screenshots of online betting transactions, bank account details and other seized electronic material, prima facie connects the applicant with the alleged offence. The material on record further indicates the existence of a well-organized syndicate operating an online betting network across different States through multiple accused persons, bank accounts and electronic devices, thereby disclosing a systematic illegal gambling operation having wider financial implications. At this stage, this Court is not required to undertake a meticulous appreciation of the evidence or examine its admissibility, as those are matters to be considered during trial. 12. Considering the gravity and organized nature of the alleged offence, the role attributed to the present applicant, and the prima facie material collected during the investigation, this Court is not inclined to exercise its discretionary jurisdiction under Section 482 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 in favour of the applicant. It is also relevant that the regular bail applications of several co- accused, including Fatte Singh Yadav, Tulsidas Namdev, Shatrughan Kumar Komre, Sandeep Israni, Masnun Raza, Shubham Sitlani, Sanni Dewangan, Rohit Singh and Vishal Kashyap, have already been rejected by this Court. 13. Accordingly, the present application for grant of anticipatory bail filed by the applicant, Bramha Nand Khemani, is rejected. Sd/- (Ravindra Kumar Agrawal) Judge ved