Page No.# 1/3 GAHC010038082026 undefined THE GAUHATI HIGH COURT (HIGH COURT OF ASSAM, NAGALAND, MIZORAM AND ARUNACHAL PRADESH) Case No. : AB/412/2026 SRI GUPINATH SONOWAL S/O- PADMADHAR SONOWAL, R/O- VILLAGE- MOINAPARA, KADAM, P.S- BOGINADI, IN THE DISTRICT OF LAKHIMPUR, ASSAM, PIN- 787032. VERSUS THE STATE OF ASSAM REPRESENTED BY THE P.P. ASSAM. Advocate for the Petitioner : MR. M KALITA, MR. N M DAS,H BORUAH,MR. J HATIMURIA Advocate for the Respondent : PP, ASSAM, BEFORE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE PRANJAL DAS ORDER 30.03.2026 Heard Mr. M. Kalita, learned counsel for the petitioner. Also heard Mr. P. Borthakur, learned APP for the State. 2. This is an application filed under Section 482 of the BNSS, 2023, praying for grant of pre-arrest bail to the accused/applicant in connection with North Page No.# 2/3 Lakhimpur P.S. Case No.83/2024 under Sections 120(B)/406/420/409/468/471 of the IPC. 3. An FIR was lodged on 03.02.2024 alleging that the accused/applicant, who was serving as the Relationship Manager – Rural Lending at Axis Bank Ltd., North Lakhimpur Branch, along with certain other persons, sanctioned and disbursed certain loans without properly verifying the requisite documentation and without conducting mandatory field visits. Upon receipt of the FIR, the police registered North Lakhimpur Police Station Case No. 83/2024. On the basis of the aforesaid FIR, a departmental/disciplinary proceeding has been initiated against the accused/applicant by Axis Bank Ltd. He has been suspended by the concerned Bank. 4. It is submitted by learned counsel for the petitioner that, pursuant to the grant of interim bail vide order dated 26.02.2026, the petitioner has appeared before the Investigating Officer on two occasions and has cooperated with the investigation. 5. As noted in paragraph 4 of the order dated 26.02.2026, the FIR in the present case was lodged in April, 2024. Learned counsel for the prosecution submits that the case diary has been received and, although substantial progress has been made in the investigation, the same is yet to be completed despite the lapse of time. 6. It is further submitted that the complicity of the present petitioner has been revealed during investigation. The petitioner is alleged to have been involved, along with other persons including fictitious borrowers, in the sanctioning of agricultural loans on behalf of the bank, thereby causing wrongful loss to the bank to the tune of more than Rs. 6 crores. It appears that, at the relevant point of time, the petitioner was working as a Relationship Manager in the concerned bank, Page No.# 3/3 namely Axis Bank. As per the findings of the investigation, out of 25 agricultural loans disbursed, 24 borrowers were found to be imposters. 7. The prosecution further submits that an organized racket has been unearthed, involving illegal activities supported by extensive fraudulent documentation. Having regard to the nature and gravity of the alleged offences and the materials that have surfaced during investigation, and considering that the investigation is still ongoing, this Court is of the considered view that no fetters should be imposed on the investigation. 8. Accordingly, the interim bail granted to the petitioner stands vacated, and the present application for anticipatory bail is rejected at this stage. 9. The case diary be returned. JUDGE Comparing Assistant