1 CGHC010293712026 2026:CGHC:37897 NAFR HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR MCRC No.6948 of 2026 1 - Sunil Pratap S/o Late Subhash Chand, Aged About 42 Years (Age Not Mentioned In The Impugned Order) R/o R.J.D. 352, Palam Colony, Dwarika, District New Delhi. Applicant (s) versus 1 - State Of Chhattisgarh Through Police Station Civil Lines, Raipur Distrct Raipur (C.G.) Respondent(s) MCRC No.7409 of 2026 1 - Naresh Manhar S/o Bharat Laal Aged About 44 Years R/o Gram Taaldevari P.S. Birra, Distt- Jaanjgir Champa (C.G.) Currently R/o Sect. 8 Shiv Mandir, Saddu Rukmani Sharmas House, P.S. Pandri Distt - Raipur (C.G.) Applicant (s) Versus 1 - State Of Chhattisgarh Through Station House Officer (S.H.O.) P.S. Civil Lines Distt - Raipur (C.G.) Respondent(s) Digitally signed by R NIRALA 2 MCRC No.7253 of 2026 1 - Hira Diwakar S/o Paras Ram Diwakar Aged About 31 Years Resident Of Sector 08 Shiv Mandir Saddu, Sukmani Shrma's House, P.S. Pandri, District Raipur Chhattisgarh 2 - Rakesh Ratre S/o Samaru Ram Ratre Aged About 33 Years Resident Of Village Taldevri, P.S. Birra, District Janjgir-Champa (C.G.) At Present R/o Sector 8, Shiv Mandir Saddu Rukmani Sharma's House P.S. Pandri, District Raipur (C.G.) Applicant (s) Versus 1 - State Of Chhattisgarh Through- Station House Officer, Police Station Civil Line, District Raipur (C.G.) Respondent(s) MCRC No. 7121 of 2026 1 - Sakshi Singh D/o Late Anil Singh Aged About 28 Years R/o RJD 352, Rajnagar 2, Gali No.3, Near Sanjay Diary, P.S. - Palam Nagar South West New Delhi - 110077 Applicant (s) Versus 1 - State Of Chhattisgarh Through Station House Officer, Police Station - Civil Lines, District : Raipur, Chhattisgarh Respondent(s) MCRC No.7036 of 2026 1 - Bhuneshwar Banjare S/o Shri Geetaram Banjare Aged About 26 Years (Age Not Mentioned In The Impugned Order) R/o Village Chhuiha, Near Ghasidas Chowk 1, P.S. Bilaigarh, Distt. Sarangarh Chhattisgarh Currently R/o In Front Of Canara Bank ATM, Babli Fancy Store Gali, P.S. Vidhansabha, Distt. Raipur Chhattisgarh Applicant (s) Versus 3 1 - State Of Chhattisgarh Through Civil Lines, Raipur District Raipur Chhattisgarh Respondent(s) For Applicant (s) : Mr. Kashif Shakeel, Mr. Yogesh Pandey, Mr. Devershi Thakur, Mr. Rekhraj Baghel and Mr. Kabir Kalwani, Advocates For Respondent(s) : Mr. Jitendra Shrivastava, GA Hon'ble Mr. Ramesh Sinha, Chief Justice Order on Board 24.08.2026 1. These are the first bail applications filed under Section 483 of Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 for grant of regular bail to the applicants, who have been arrested in connection with Crime No.96/2026, registered at Police Station Civil Lines, District Raipur (C.G.) for the offence punishable under Sections 318 (4), 335, 336 (2), 336 (3), 340 (1), 340 (2), 111 & 3 (5) of BNS. 2. The case of the prosecution, in brief, is that on 17.02.2026, complainant Sanjay Nirala, lodged a written report before police station - Civil Lines, Raipur (C.G.) by stating that in order to provide job in the Post Office Department, the accused persons demanded 4.5 Lakhs per person and therefore complainant has paid a sum of Rs.9 lakhs to the accused persons, till date no joining letter has been given to them. After registration of FIR, police investigated the matter and arrested 5 accused persons namely Naresh Manhar, Bhuneshwar Banjare, Heera Dewaker, 4 Rakesh Ratre and Ankit Tiwari and submitted charge sheet on 14.05.2026. During further investigation, memorandum statement of Naresh Manhar was recorded in which he stated that with the help of Supriya Pathak, who is resident of Delhi, they indulge in preparing forged mark-sheet of MBBS/BAMS of different reputed universities like D. Y. Patil Universities Pune. On the basis of the memorandum statement of the accused Naresh Manhar, police interrogated the applicant Sakshi Singh Sakshi and recorded her memorandum statement in which she stated that Sunil Pratap alias Amit Mishra along with Mukesh Kumar, Naresh Manhar and others, used to provide fake / forged MBBS / BAMS degrees. On the basis of the above facts police submitted supplementary Charge sheet and arrested other applicants. 3. Learned counsel for the applicants submits that the applicants are innocent and have been falsely implicated in crime in question. It is further submitted that as per the seizure memo prepared, as many as 47 articles have been seized by the investigating agency, the majority of which comprise educational documents belonging to different persons. However, despite the seizure of the said documents, no investigation appears to have been carried out by the prosecution to ascertain whether the said documents are genuine or forged. Furthermore, the prosecution has neither identified nor examined the persons to whom the said documents allegedly belong, nor has any complaint been brought on record from any such person alleging that he or she was 5 defrauded or was supplied with a forged educational degree or mark-sheet by the present applicant. In the absence of any such investigation or material, the mere seizure of educational documents from the possession of the applicant cannot, by itself, be construed as sufficient to prima facie establish the allegations levelled against the applicants. It is further submitted that the co- accused Ankit Tiwari has already been granted regular bail by this Court vide order dated 15.07.2026 in MCRC No.4642/2026, the applicants are in jail since 19.02.2026, 25.03.2026 & 07.04.2026, they have no criminal antecedents, charge sheet has already been filed and trial is likely to take quite long time for its conclusion, therefore, they pray that the applicants be released on regular bail. 4. On the other hand, learned State counsel opposes the bail applications of the applicants and submits that the applicants are indulge in preparing forged mark-sheet of MBBS/BAMS of different reputed universities like D. Y. Patil Universities Pune and other Universities as well all over the India and they used to provide fake / forged MBBS / BAMS degrees to the persons for providing job in the Postal Department and received huge amount of money i.e. more than 2 crores from total 55 persons. The degrees provided by the applicants to the persons were also verified by the Universities concerned and the same were found to be forged. Therefore, under the aforesaid circumstances, the applicants are not entitled to be released on bail. 6 5. I have heard learned counsel for the parties and perused all the documents available on record. 6. Taking into consideration the facts and circumstances of the case, nature of allegation and further considering that the co- accused Ankit Tiwari has already been granted regular bail by this Court vide order dated 15.07.2026 in MCRC No.4642/2026, the applicants are in jail since 19.02.2026, 25.03.2026 & 07.04.2026, they have no criminal antecedents, charge sheet has already been filed and trial is likely to take quite long time for its conclusion, therefore, without commenting anything on the merits of the case, I am inclined to allow these applications. 7. Accordingly, the instant bail applications of the applicants are allowed. 8. Let the Applicants – Sunil Pratap, Naresh Manhar, Hira Diwakar, Rakesh Ratre, Sakshi Singh and Bhuneshwar Banjare, involved in Crime No.96/2026, registered at Police Station Civil Lines, District Raipur (C.G.) for the offence punishable under Sections 318 (4), 335, 336 (2), 336 (3), 340 (1), 340 (2), 111 & 3 (5) of BNS, be released on bail on each of them furnishing a personal bond and two sureties, however the applicants Sunil Pratap and Sakshi Singh shall furnish two local sureties each, whereas the other applicants Naresh Manhar, Hira Diwakar, Rakesh Ratre and Bhuneshwar Banjare shall furnish only two sureties in the like sum to the satisfaction of the Court concerned with the following conditions:- 7 “(i) The applicants shall file an undertaking to the effect that they shall not seek any adjournment on the dates fixed for evidence when the witnesses are present in Court. In case of default of this condition, it shall be open for the trial court to treat it as abuse of liberty of bail and pass orders in accordance with law. (ii) The applicants shall remain present before the trial court on each date fixed, either personally or through their counsel. In case of their absence, without sufficient cause, the trial court may proceed against them under Section 269 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. (iii) In case, the applicants misuse the liberty of bail during trial and in order to secure their presence, proclamation under Section 84 of BNSS. is issued and the applicants fail to appear before the court on the date fixed in such proclamation, then, the trial court shall initiate proceedings against them, in accordance with law, under Section 209 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. (iv) The applicants shall remain present, in person, before the trial court on the dates fixed for (i) opening of the case, (ii) framing of charge and (iii) recording of statement under Section 351 of BNSS. If in the opinion of the trial court absence of the applicants is deliberate or without sufficient cause, then it shall be open for the trial court to treat such default as abuse of liberty of bail and proceed against him in accordance with law.” 8 9. Office is directed to provide a certified copy of this order to the trial Court concerned for necessary information and compliance forthwith. Sd/- (Ramesh Sinha) Chief Justice Nirala