1 CGHC010335792026 2026:CGHC:39761 NAFR HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR MCRC No. 8060 of 2026 Sheikh Asif Son Of Sheikh Ramjan, Aged About 42 Years Resident Of Chandani Chowk Nehru Nagar, Police Station - City Kotwali, Tahsil And District - Raipur (C.G.) ... Applicant versus State Of Chhattisgarh Through Station House Officer, Police Station - Rajendra Nagar, Raipur, District- Raipur (C.G.) ... Respondent (Cause title taken from Case Information System) For Applicant : Mr. Goutam Khetrapal, Advocate For Respondent/State : Mr. Rohan Shukla, Panel Lawyer Hon'ble Shri Justice Ravindra Kumar Agrawal Order on Board 10/09/2026 1. This is the first bail application of the applicant, Sheikh Asif under Section 483 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (hereinafter referred as “BNSS”), who has been arrested on 23.05.2026 in connection with Crime No. 191/2026 registered at Police Station Rajendra Nagar (New Rajendra Nagar), Raipur, for the VED PRAKASH DEWANGAN Digitally signed by VED PRAKASH DEWANGAN Date: 2026.09.11 14:08:39 +0530 2 offence under Section 112 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and Section 7 of the Chhattisgarh Gambling (Prohibition) Act, 2022. 2. The prosecution case, in brief, is that on 23.05.2026, while Sub- Inspector Pradeep Singh Chandel, accompanied by Constable Santosh Kanwar and carrying the investigation kit and laptop, was engaged in the investigation of another offence and had reached near Dronacharya School, he received secret information at about 8:50 PM that five persons were sitting in a white Kia car bearing registration No. CG-04-PB-4914 near Alaukik Dham on the Amlidih liquor shop road and were indulging in online cricket betting in connection with the ongoing IPL matches by placing and accepting bets involving monetary gain and loss through mobile phones. After informing the Station House Officer and senior officers and obtaining oral instructions to conduct a raid, a raid was conducted at the indicated place. At the indicated place, a white Kia car was found parked near Alaukik Dham with four persons sitting inside, who disclosed their names as Saurabh Mukim, Karan Pinjani alias Kittu, Sheikh Asif and Imam Ahmad. Upon interrogation, they allegedly admitted their involvement in playing and facilitating online betting, whereafter searches were conducted. From Saurabh Mukim, two mobile phones were seized; from Karan Pinjani alias Kittu, two mobile phones and cash of Rs.12,220/-; from Sheikh Asif, one mobile phone and cash of Rs.33,000/-; and from Imam Ahmad, one mobile phone, while the Kia Seltos car bearing registration No. CG-04-PB- 4914 was seized. After opening the seized mobile phones in the presence of witnesses and preparing pattern-lock proceedings, the 3 police allegedly found links, IDs and records relating to online betting platforms, including ALL Panel Exchange, Nasib 7777 (ID 777rajU223), UNCLEBET9, JMDBET, GOLD24PRO, BIGEXCHANGE9 and OSHO777, and screenshots and printouts of the relevant data were taken and visual panchnamas prepared. 3. The accused persons were thereafter served notices under Section 94 of the BNSS to produce documents authorising the online betting activity, but they failed to produce such documents. The seized articles included mobile phones, screenshots of betting-related data, cash aggregating to Rs.45,220/- and the Kia Seltos car. Dehati Nalishi was recorded at the spot for offences under Section 7 of the Chhattisgarh Gambling Prohibition Act, 2022 and Section 112 of the BNS, and subsequently an FIR was registered. During investigation, accused Saurabh Mukim allegedly made a memorandum statement stating that he, along with Sheikh Asif, Imam Ahmad and Karan Pinjani, was engaged in facilitating online cricket betting through various betting IDs and panels, including ALL Panel Exchange, Nasib 7777, Golden Exchange, BIGEXCHANGE9, OSHO777, GOLD24PRO, JMDBET, UNCLEBET9 and other online platforms, and that such IDs and panels had been supplied through persons identified as Kamal and Mukesh and through mobile numbers allegedly linked with persons located in Gurugram and Delhi. They allegedly obtained such IDs and panels through mobile contacts and operated the online betting activity while moving around in the aforesaid car. On the basis of the information regarding the location of the persons connected with the aforesaid mobile numbers, the 4 ACCU team, acting through Sub-Inspector Mukesh Sori, conducted a raid and found Gurudev Singh alias Kaka, Rajiv Kumar, Bhairo Kumar, Ravindra Kumar and Sikandar Yadav, who allegedly admitted their role in providing betting IDs and participating in the online cricket betting operation. In the presence of witnesses Ravi Pandey and Harsh Sahu, mobile phones, laptops, ATM cards, passbooks, cheque books, notebooks, routers and SIM cards were seized from them on 24.05.2026; they were formally arrested on 25.05.2026 and remanded to judicial custody. The mobile phones and laptops seized from the accused persons are being sent to the FSL for examination, and the charge sheet has been filed. 4. Mr. Goutam Khetrapal, learned counsel appearing for the applicant would submit that, the applicant is innocent and has been falsely implicated in the present case. The prosecution case is based on the alleged seizure of electronic devices and other articles and the memorandum statements of the co-accused, and there is no legally admissible material to directly connect the applicant with the alleged online betting operation. The applicant was arrested only on the basis of the alleged disclosure made by co-accused persons and the alleged recovery of certain electronic devices and documents from them. The applicant is neither the owner nor the operator of the alleged betting platforms, and no specific material has been collected to establish his direct involvement in accepting or facilitating bets. The electronic devices seized from the applicant are yet to be examined by the FSL and, therefore, the prosecution allegations are still subject to verification. It would also be submitted that the 5 applicant Sheikh Asif is in jail since 23.05.2026, the seized articles are already in the possession of the investigating agency and further custodial interrogation is not required. The applicant is permanent resident of district Raipur and there is no likelihood of his absconding or tampering with the prosecution evidence. He would further submit that similarly situated co-accused Saurabh Mukim has already been released on bail by the learned trial Court vide order dated 18.06.2026 and another co-accused Gurudev @ Gurdev Singh @ Kaka has also been released by the learned trial Court on 06.07.2026, and the allegation against the present applicant is also similar. Therefore, the applicant may be enlarged on regular bail. 5. Per contra, Mr. Rohan Shukla, learned counsel appearing for the State, opposes the submissions and would submit that there is prima facie material showing the active involvement of the applicant in an organised network of online cricket betting. On secret information, the police raided the place near Alaukik Dham, Amlidih, and apprehended the accused persons while they were sitting in a car bearing registration No. CG-04-PB-4914, which was allegedly being used for moving around and operating the online betting activity during the ongoing IPL matches. From the possession of the accused persons, several mobile phones and cash amounting to Rs.45,220/- were seized and, upon examination of the mobile phones in the presence of witnesses, various betting IDs, links and panels, including ALL Panel Exchange, Nasib 7777, UNCLEBET9, JMDBET, GOLD24PRO, BIGEXCHANGE9 and OSHO777, along with other betting-related data and chats, were allegedly found. 6 During investigation, accused Saurabh Mukim disclosed the names and involvement of other persons who were allegedly providing betting IDs and panels and were operating from different places, pursuant to which further raids were conducted and Gurudev Singh alias Kaka, Rajiv Kumar, Bhairo Kumar, Ravindra Kumar and Sikandar Yadav were apprehended, from whom mobile phones, laptops, ATM cards, passbooks, cheque books, notebooks, routers and SIM cards were seized. The investigation has, thus, revealed a wider network of persons allegedly engaged in facilitating online cricket betting. 6. It is also submitted that the applicant Sheikh Asif has one criminal record of Crime No. 3165/2023, registered at Police Station Tikrapara, Raipur, for the offence under Sections 294, 506, 427, 34 of IPC. He would also submit that the bail application of co-accused Imran Ahmed (MCRC No. 7035 of 2026) and Karan Pinjani (MCRC No. 7621 of 2026) have been rejected by this Court vide order dated 24.08.2026. Therefore, considering the nature of the allegations, the material collected during the investigation, the alleged organised manner in which the betting activities were being conducted and the possibility of the applicant influencing witnesses, the applicant is not entitled to be enlarged on bail. 7. I have heard learned counsel for the parties and perused the case diary and documents annexed with the bail application. 8. On due consideration of the submissions made by learned counsel for the parties, the material available in the case diary and the 7 documents annexed with the bail application, this Court finds that the applicant was apprehended along with other accused persons from the spot where they were allegedly engaged in online cricket betting. A mobile phone and cash amounting to Rs.33,000/- were seized from his possession, and the mobile phones seized from the accused persons allegedly contained betting-related links, IDs, panels and other relevant data. The investigation further discloses an organised network involved in facilitating online cricket betting through various betting platforms and IDs. Though learned counsel for the applicant has submitted that the electronic devices are yet to be examined by the FSL and that the applicant is entitled to parity with the co- accused who have been granted bail, the role attributed to the present applicant, the nature of the seizure made from his possession, the material collected during investigation and the alleged organised nature of the betting operation are relevant considerations at this stage. The fact that the charge-sheet has been filed does not, by itself, entitle the applicant to bail when the material collected during investigation discloses his prima facie involvement in the alleged offence. Further, the bail application of co-accused persons Imran Ahmed (MCRC No. 7035 of 2026) and Karan Pinjani (MCRC No. 7621 of 2026) have been rejected by this Court vide order dated 24.08.2026. 9. Having regard to the nature and gravity of the allegations, the material collected during investigation, the seizure of the mobile phone and cash from the possession of the applicant, the alleged involvement of the applicant in an organised online betting network, 8 this Court is of the considered opinion that the applicant does not deserve to be enlarged on bail at this stage. 10. Accordingly, the bail application of the applicant Sheikh Asif is rejected. Sd/- (Ravindra Kumar Agrawal) Judge ved