1 2026:CGHC:6307 NAFR HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR MCRC No. 748 of 2026 Abhijeet Pradhan S/o Sanjeev Kumar Pradhan Aged About 32 Years Occupation- Service, R/o Ward No. 07, Roopnagar, Charcha Colliery, P.S.- Charcha, Tehsil- Baikunthpur, District- Koriya (Chhattisgarh) ... Applicant versus State Of Chhattisgarh Through Station House Officer Charcha, District – Koriya (Chhattisgarh) …. Non-applicant For Applicant : Mr. Siddhant Tiwari, Advocate. For Non-applicant/State : Ms. Vaishali Mahilong, Dy. Govt. Advocate. Hon’ble Shri Ramesh Sinha, Chief Justice Order on Board 04.02.2026 1. This is the third bail application filed under Section 483 of the Bhartiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 for grant of regular bail to the applicant arrested in connection with Crime No. 282/2024 registered at Police Station – Charcha, District – Koriya (C.G.) for the offence punishable under Sections 120B, 408, 420, 467 and 468 of the IPC. 2. Earlier the first bail application of the applicant was rejected by this Court vide order dated 10.03.2025 passed in MCRC No. 859/2025, on merits, and the second bail application of the applicant was also rejected on merits vide order dated 30.04.2025 passed in MCRC No.3296/2025. 3. Case of the prosecution, in brief, is that Case of the prosecution, in RAJSHEKHAR SONI Digitally signed by RAJSHEKHAR SONI 2 brief, is that a complaint has been filed stating that the accused was posted as a clerk/accountant in Saraswati Shishu Mandir Higher Secondary School, Charcha, he used to embezzle the fees collected by the parents, a lesser amount was marked in the carbon copy and deposited in the bank account and in the last 5 years, Rs. 28,08,490/- has been embezzled, in this regard, a written complaint was submitted by the treasurer of the school committee, Ram Sagar Singh, at the Charcha Police Station. During the course of investigation, it has also come to light that the accused had also given two cheques to the committee for payment of the said amount, which were dishonoured, the accused is accused of embezzling an amount of about Rs. 28,08,490/- from the educational institution Shishu Mandir by forging documents. Hence, this application. 4. Learned counsel appearing for the applicants submits that the applicants are innocent and has been falsely implicated in the present case. It has been submitted that there are a total of 15 prosecution witnesses out of which only 7 witnesses have been examined by the trial Court, and 8 are yet to be examined. It is submitted that the applicants are in jail since 09.12.2024, and the conclusion of the trial shall take quite long time. Therefore, he prays for grant of bail. 5. On the other hand, learned State counsel, opposes the bail application and submits that a complaint has been filed stating that the accused was posted as a clerk/accountant in Saraswati Shishu Mandir Higher Secondary School, Charcha, he used to embezzle 3 the fees collected by the parents, a lesser amount was marked in the carbon copy and deposited in the bank account and in the last 5 years, Rs. 28,08,490/- has been embezzled, during the course of investigation, it has also come to light that the accused had also given two cheques to the committee for payment of the said amount, which were dishonoured, the applicant is accused of embezzling an amount of about Rs. 28,08,490/- from the educational institution Saraswati Shishu Mandir by forging documents. As such, the bail application deserves to be rejected. 6. I have heard learned counsel for the parties and perused the case diary. 7. Considering the above submissions made by the learned counsel for the parties, as out of 15 witnesses, the statement of only 7 witnesses have been recorded and the trial is still going on, the same cannot be a ground for releasing the applicant on bail as the same amounts to only tampering with the evidence. 8. Taking into consideration the facts and circumstances of the case and also considering the fact that a complaint has been filed stating that the accused was posted as a clerk/accountant in Saraswati Shishu Mandir Higher Secondary School, Charcha, he used to embezzle the fees collected by the parents, a lesser amount was marked in the carbon copy and deposited in the bank account and in the last 5 years, Rs. 28,08,490/- has been embezzled, during the course of investigation, it has also come to light that the accused had also given two cheques to the committee for payment of the 4 said amount, which were dishonoured, the applicant is accused of embezzling an amount of about Rs. 28,08,490/- from the educational institution Saraswati Shishu Mandir by forging documents, therefore, this Court is of the opinion that it is not a fit case to enlarge the applicants on regular bail. 9. Accordingly, this third bail application of applicant – Abhijeet Pradhan involved in Crime No. 282/2024 registered at Police Station – Charcha, District – Koriya (C.G.) for the offence punishable under Sections 120B, 408, 420, 467 and 468 of the IPC, is rejected at this stage. 10. Needless to say that the trial Court concerned is at liberty to proceed with the trial and conclude the same, as expeditiously as possible, preferably within a period of six months, if there is no any legal impediment. 11. 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 Rajshekhar