1 2026:CGHC:11699 NAFR HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR MCRCA No. 380 of 2026 Mukesh Kumar Yadav S/o Salik Ram Yadav Aged About 25 Years R/o Village Beldagi, P.S. And Tahsil Lakhanpur, District- Sarguja (C.G) ... Applicant versus State Of Chhattisgarh Through- Station House Officer, P.S.- Lakhanpur, Ambikapur, District- Sarguja (C.G.) ... Respondent For Applicant : Ms. Manisha Yadav, Advocate. For Non-applicant/State : Mr. Sourabh Sahu, Panel Lawyer. Hon'ble Mr. Ramesh Sinha, Chief Justice Order on Board 11.03.2026 1. This first anticipatory bail application under Section 482 of the Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 has been filed by the applicant, who is apprehending his arrest in connection with Crime No.186/2025 registered at Police Station – Lakhanpur, Ambikapur, District- Sarguja (C.G.) for the offences punishable under Sections 115(2), 296(B), 351(2) of the BNS. VAIBHAV SINGH Digitally signed by VAIBHAV SINGH Date: 2026.03.12 11:27:09 +0530 2 2. The prosecution story in brief is that, the complainant namely Devchand Painkra had lodged oral complaint before police Station alleging that on 06-08-2025 at evening when the complainant along with Mahesh Painkra was returning from their agriculture field where the applicant came nereby them and started abusing them and threatened them to kill and assaulted them with wooden stick, due to which the complainant sustained injuries. Subsequently based on the oral complaint, the police registered the crime against the applicant. 3. Learned counsel for the applicant submits that the applicant is innocent and has been falsely implicated in the aforesaid case. It is further submitted that The applicant is a renowned journalist of District Surguja. It is further submitted that the actual incident occurred on 06.08.2025 at about 11:00 PM when Chotu Painkra, also known as Devchand Painkra, along with Mahesh Painkra came near the house of the applicant in a drunken state and started abusing him on the ground that the applicant had called his media team to cover the illegal manufacturing of bricks being carried out by them in the area and had also made a complaint to the police regarding the same. They further threatened the applicant and his family members with dire consequences. It is also submitted that on 07.08.2025 at about 11:00 AM, Devchand Painkra and Mahesh Painkra along with other persons namely Potkahin and her husband Potkiha and Devnarayan Singh came to the house of the applicant and again threatened the applicant and his family members to kill them and further threatened to implicate him in a false criminal case under the SC/ST Act. Due to the said threats, the applicant immediately called the 112 helpline and informed the police about the incident and also submitted a complaint against 3 Devchand Painkra, Mahesh Painkra and other persons; however, due to their strong political and financial influence, the police did not register any FIR against them and instead registered a false case against the present applicant on the basis of their complaint. It is further submitted that the said complainants are habitual offenders involved in illegal brick manufacturing and other criminal activities and, because of their influence, the applicant has been falsely implicated in the present case. 4. On the other hand, learned State counsel opposes the anticipatory bail application of the present applicant and submits that the present applicant assaulted the injured and caused grievous injuries; therefore, the applicant is not entitled to the grant of bail. 5. I have heard learned counsel for the parties and perused the case diary. 6. Considering the facts and circumstances of the case, the submissions advanced by learned counsel for the parties, and the material available in the case diary, it appears that on 06.08.2025 the injured Devchand Painkra and Mahesh Painkra were returning home from work when they were allegedly intercepted by the applicant Mukesh Yadav and assaulted with sticks while extending threats to kill them. From the perusal of the MLC/Mulahija report available in the case diary, it is revealed that Devchand Painkra sustained serious injuries, including a fracture involving the orbit and the zygomatic arch wall, which have been opined to be grievous in nature. Considering the seriousness of the allegations, the nature of the injuries sustained by the injured person, and the conduct of the applicant, this Court is not inclined to 4 grant anticipatory bail to the applicant. Accordingly, the anticipatory bail application stands rejected. 7. Accordingly, the anticipatory bail application of the applicant Mukesh Kumar Yadav, involved in with Crime No.186/2025 registered at Police Station – Lakhanpur, Ambikapur, District- Sarguja (C.G.) for the offences punishable under Sections 115(2), 296(B), 351(2) of the BNS., is rejected. Sd/- (Ramesh Sinha) CHIEF JUSTICE vaibhav