CRL OP(MD). No.15527 of 2026 BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT ( Criminal Jurisdiction ) Date : 28/07/2026 PRESENT The HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE K. RAJASEKAR CRL OP(MD). No.15527 of 2026 Govindaraj, S/o.Ezhumalai, No.269, Kullampatti, Melapachakudi, Fathima Nagar, Pudukkottai.. ... Petitioner/Accused No.5 Vs The State of Tamilnadu Rep By, The Inspector of Police, CCB Trichy City Police Station, Trichy City. Cr.No.21/2026.. ... Respondent/Complainant For Petitioner : Mr.A.Thiyagarajan, Advocate. For Respondent : Mr.T.Lenin Kumar, Counsel for State of TN (Crl.Side) PETITION FOR BAIL Under Sec.483 of BNSS PRAYER :- C-24B.For Bail in Cr.No.21 of 2026 on the file of the respondent police. 1/7 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis CRL OP(MD). No.15527 of 2026 ORDER : The Court made the following order :- The petitioner/Accused No.5, who was arrested and remanded to judicial custody on 10.06.2026 for the alleged offence under Sections 316(5), 318(4), 61(2) and 3(5) of BNS, 2023, and Sections 4(1), 76(1), 22, 24 and 79 of Chit Funds Act, 1982, in Crime No.21 of 2026 on the file of the respondent police, seeks bail. 2.The case of the prosecution is that the petitioner herein joining hands with the other accused collected a sum of Rs.3.60 Crores from 90 victims as deposits for the financial firm run under the name and style of Sri Sakthi Kannan Chits (P) Limited. Thereafter, they failed to repay the deposited amounts to the investors. Hence, the case has been registered and the petitioner has been arrested. 3.The learned counsel appearing for the petitioner submitted that the petitioner herein is an innocent and he is only a collection agent and the similarly placed collection agents have already been granted anticipatory bail by this Court in Crl.O.P.(MD).Nos.11369 and 11389 of 2026 vide order dated 17.06.2026. He further submitted that the 2/7 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis CRL OP(MD). No.15527 of 2026 petitioner is ready to abide by any stringent conditions that may be imposed by this Court. He further submitted that the petitioner is incarceration from 10.06.2026 Hence, he prayed to grant bail to the petitioner. 4.The learned Counsel for State of TN (Crl. Side) appearing for the respondent Police reiterated the prosecution case and submitted that earlier the other accused were granted anticipatory bail. At that point of time, the amount involved was only a small amount. Now, the amount cheated by the accused has escalated to Rs.3.60 crores. Hence, he opposed to grant bail to the petitioner. However, he further submitted that similarly placed co-accused had already been granted anticipatory bail by this Court. 5.Heard on either sides and perused the materials available on records including the FIR. 6.This Court, while granting anticipatory bail to the co-accused in Crl.O.P.(MD) No.11389 of 2026, recorded the following reasons: 3/7 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis CRL OP(MD). No.15527 of 2026 6. Considering the rival submissions made on either side and the nature of offences charged against the petitioner, and considering the facts that the petitioner is an unnamed accused and the petitioner is only working as collecting agent in the financial institution and already main accused was secured by the police and the petitioner has no previous case, this Court is inclined to grant bail to the petitioner subject to certain conditions. 7.Considering the above reasons and the fact that the present petitioner is also similarly placed and the period of incarceration undergone by the petitioner from 10.06.2026, I am inclined to grant bail to the petitioner, subject to certain conditions: [a] Accordingly, the petitioner is ordered to be released on bail on condition to execute a bond for a sum of Rs.20,000/- (Rupees Twenty Thousand only) with two sureties each for a like sum to the satisfaction of the learned Judicial Magistrate Court No.I, Trichy District, and on further conditions that: [b] the petitioner shall report before the respondent 4/7 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis CRL OP(MD). No.15527 of 2026 Police daily at 10.30 a.m., for a period of four weeks and thereafter, as and when required for interrogation before the respondent Police. [c] the petitioner shall not commit any offence similar to the offence of which he/she is accused, or suspected, or of the commission of which he/she is suspected; [d] the petitioner shall not abscond either during investigation or trial; [e] the petitioner 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 her from disclosing such facts to the Court or to any police officer or tamper with the evidence; [f] On breach of any of the aforesaid conditions, the learned Judicial Magistrate/Trial Court is entitled to take appropriate action against the petitioner in accordance with law as if the conditions have been imposed and the petitioner released on bail by the learned Magistrate/Trial Court himself as laid down by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in P.K.Shaji vs. 5/7 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis CRL OP(MD). No.15527 of 2026 State of Kerala [(2005)AIR SCW 5560]. [g] If the accused thereafter absconds, a fresh FIR can be registered under Section 269 BNS. (K R S J) 28.07.2026 vsg TO 1.The learned Judicial Magistrate Court No.I, Trichy. 2.The Superintendent, Central Prison, Trichy, 3.The Inspector of Police, CCB Trichy City Police Station, Trichy City. 4. The Additional Public Prosecutor, Madurai Bench of Madras High Court, Madurai. 6/7 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis CRL OP(MD). No.15527 of 2026 K. RAJASEKAR,J., vsg ORDER IN CRL OP(MD) No.15527 of 2026 Date : 28/07/2026 7/7 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis