1 CGHC010342452026 2026:CGHC:39582 NAFR HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR MCRC No. 8253 of 2026 Netram Verma S/o Late Jethuram Veram Aged About 52 Years R/o Village Chikhli, In Front Of Govt. Printing Press, Ward, No. 5, Chikhli, Police Station City Kotwali, Chowki, Chikhli, District Rajnandgaon C. G. ... Applicant versus State Of Chhattisgarh Through- O P. Chikhli, P. S. City Kotwali, Rajnandgaon, District Rajnandgaon, C. G. ... Non-applicant For Petitioner(s) : Mr. Rajesh Jain, Advocate For Respondent(s) : Ms. Vaishali Mahilong, Dy.G.A. (Hon’ble Shri Justice Ravindra Kumar Agrawal, J.) Order on Board 09/09/2026 1. This is the third bail application of the applicant. The first bail application of the applicant has been dismissed on merits vide order dated 19.09.2025 passed by this Court in MCRC No. 7080 of 2025. The second bail application of the applicant has been dismissed vide order dated 08.07.2026 passed by this Court in MCRC No. 6073 of 2026. 2. The applicant, who is in jail since 13.08.2025, is claiming regular bail in SUMIT KUMAR Digitally signed by SUMIT KUMAR Date: 2026.09.10 11:04:38 +0530 2 connection with Crime No. 414 of 2025 registered at Police Station - City Kotwali, Outpost Chikhli, District - Rajnandgaon for the offences punishable under Sections 74, 65(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and under Sections 4, 8, 10 and 12 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012. 3. The case of the prosecution is that, on 09.08.2025 one FIR has been registered against the applicant with the allegation that the applicant is Head Master of the Govt. Primary School, Mohba and he sexually exploited and outraged the modesty of the girls students of the school and when the victims made complaint, he threatened them. The father of one of the victims has lodged report to the police on which the FIR has been registered. The applicant has been arrested on 13.08.2025 and the investigation is going on. 4. Learned counsel for the applicant would submit that the applicant is in jail since 13.08.2025 and till date 15 witnesses have been examined out of a total of 33 cited witnesses. None of the witnesses have duly supported the prosecution's case with respect to the allegations in the charge-sheet. He would further submit that the applicant is a teacher in the school and even the victims as well as their parents have not supported the prosecution's case. The final adjudication of the case will take its own time, therefore, he may be released on bail. 5. On the other hand, learned counsel appearing for the State opposes the submissions made by learned counsel for the applicant and would submit that earlier two bail applications of the applicant have been dismissed on merits. The trial is at an advanced stage and out of total 33 witnesses, 15 witnesses have already been examined, therefore, 3 the applicant may not be released on bail. 6. I have heard learned counsel for the parties, perused the documents annexed with the bail application as well as gone through the case diary. 7. Considering the submissions made by learned counsel for the parties, considering the nature of allegations and further considering that the second bail application of the applicant was dismissed on merits on 08.07.2026 and till that day 14 witnesses had already been examined, thereafter, only PW-15 has been examined on 13.08.2026. Since 14 witnesses had already been examined before 08.07.2026, which is the date of rejection of his second bail application and further that the trial is at an advanced stage and a total of 15 witnesses have been examined till 13.08.2026, I am not inclined to consider it to be a change in circumstances. 8. Accordingly, the third bail application of the applicant is dismissed at the motion stage itself. However, considering the detention period of the applicant that he is in jail since 13.08.2025, the learned trial Court is directed to expedite the trial of the case and shall make all endeavors to conclude the trial as early as possible. Sd/- (Ravindra Kumar Agrawal) JUDGE Sumit