1 CGHC010319542026 2026:CGHC:38377 NAFR HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR MCRCA No.1418 of 2026 Madan Sai Sidar S/o Late Heerasai Aged About 58 Years R/o Village Kerju, Majhapara P. S. And Tehsil Sitapur District- Surguja Chhattisgarh. ... Applicant versus State Of Chhattisgarh Through Station House Officer, P. S. Sitapur District- Surguja Chhattisgarh. ... Non-Applicant For Applicant : Mr. Nishikant Sinha, Advocate. For Non-applicant/State : Mr. Jitendra Shrivastava, G.A. Hon'ble Mr. Ramesh Sinha, Chief Justice Order on Board 31.08.2026 1. This anticipatory bail application under Section 482 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 has been filed by the Applicant who is apprehending his arrest in connection SISTLA NEELIMA VISHNU PRIYA Digitally signed by SISTLA NEELIMA VISHNU PRIYA Date: 2026.09.01 11:35:59 +0530 2 with Crime No.188/2026 registered at Police Station – Sitapur, District Surguja (C.G.) for the offences punishable under Sections 318, 316(5), 61(2) and 3(5) of BNS. 2. According to the case of the prosecution, pursuant to an inquiry conducted in accordance with the directions of the Collector, Surguja and on the basis of the report received therein, Anand Singh, In-charge Chief Accountant, Cooperative Bank, Ambikapur, lodged a written complaint dated 27.05.2026 at Police Station Sitapur, District Surguja, against the Applicant/accused and co-accused persons namely Sumit Kumar, Shivshankar Soni, Deepak Kumar Chakradhari, Sainath Kerketta, Bhupendra Singh, Jogiram, Lalita Sinha and the then Committee Manager, Committee Kerju. It is alleged that while being employees or authorized officials posted at District Cooperative Central Bank, Branch Petla, the accused persons forged the signatures of 127 farmers and in their names, sanctioned loans, thereby committing fraud and misappropriated a sum of Rs.1,92,82,096/-. Based on these allegations, the offences as mentioned above have been registered against the present Applicant. Hence, this application. 3. Learned Counsel for the Applicant submits that the Applicant is innocent and has been falsely implicated in the present 3 case. It is submitted that the Applicant is not a Government servant and was appointed as an Authorized Officer in the Bank only on 18.11.2024, whereas the alleged fraud pertains to the period from 2020 to 2025. He further submits that the main accused Dinesh Gupta, the then Bank Manager, had allegedly forged the signatures of villagers as well as the Applicant and obtained loans in their names and after the fraud came to light, committed suicide. It is further submitted that the Applicant neither participated in the alleged forgery nor derived any monetary benefit therefrom and was merely holding the post of Authorized Officer without receiving any salary or honorarium. It is also submitted that although the anticipatory bail applications of co-accused Sumit Kumar in M.Cr.C.A. No.1046/2026, Shivshankar Soni in M.Cr.C.A. No.1078/2026 and Bhupendra Singh in M.Cr.C.A. No.1109/2026, who were employees of the Bank, have been dismissed by this Court, co-accused Lalita Sinha in M.Cr.C.A. No.1089/2026 and Jogiram in M.Cr.C.A. No.1145/2026 have been granted anticipatory bail and Jogiram, who was also working as an Authorized Officer prior to the Applicant, was granted anticipatory bail and another co-accused Sainath Kerketta has also been granted anticipatory bail vide order dated 12.08.2026 passed in MCRCA No.1302/2026. It is, 4 lastly, submitted that the case of the Applicant is on parity and the Applicant is suffering from age-related ailments, the trial is likely to take considerable time for its conclusion, therefore, he may be granted anticipatory bail on the ground of parity. 4. Per contra, learned State Counsel opposes the bail application and submits that serious allegations of fraud and misappropriation of an amount exceeding Rs.1,92,82,000/- have been levelled against the Applicant and co-accused persons and that the role of the Applicant in the alleged offence is subject to investigation. It is further submitted that the anticipatory bail applications preferred by co-accused Sumit Kumar, Shivshankar Soni and Bhupendra Singh, who were employees of the Bank, have already been dismissed by this Court in M.Cr.C.A. Nos.1046/2026, 1078/2026 and 1109/2026 respectively, therefore, the Applicant does not deserve the benefit of anticipatory bail. 5. Considering the submissions advanced by learned Counsel for the parties, the material available in the case diary, the nature of allegations, the fact that the Applicant was appointed as an Authorized Officer only on 18.11.2024, whereas the alleged fraud relates to the period from 2020 to 2025, the fact that co-accused Jogiram, who was also working as an Authorized Officer prior to the Applicant, has 5 already been granted anticipatory bail by this Court vide order dated 20.07.2026 passed in M.Cr.C.A. No.1145/2026 and another co-accused Sainath Kerketta has also been granted anticipatory bail vide order dated 12.08.2026 passed in MCRCA No.1302/2026, further considering the age and age- related ailments of the Applicant and that the trial is likely to take considerable time for its conclusion, without further commenting on the merits of the case, this Court is of the considered opinion that it is a fit case to extend the benefit of anticipatory bail to the Applicant. 6. Accordingly, the instant MCRCA is allowed and it is directed that in the event of arrest of the Applicant – Madan Sai Sidar on executing a personal bond with one surety in the like sum to the satisfaction of the arresting Officer, he shall be released on bail on the following conditions:- (a) The Applicant/s shall not directly or indirectly make any inducement, threat or promise to any person acquainted with the facts of the case so as to dissuade him/her/them from disclosing such fact to the Court. (b) The Applicant/s shall not act in any manner which will be prejudicial to fair and expeditious trial. (c) The Applicant/s shall appear before the trial Court on each and every date given to him/her/them by the said Court till disposal of the trial. (d)The Applicant/s and the surety shall submit a copy of his/her/their adhaar card along with a 6 colored postcard full size photo having printed the adhaar number on it, which shall be verified by the trial Court. (e)The Applicant/s shall not involve himself/herself/themselves in any offence of similar nature in future. Sd/- (Ramesh Sinha) CHIEF JUSTICE Priya