1 2026:CGHC:18238 NAFR HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR MCRC No. 3224 of 2026 1 - Chandrashekhar Choube @ Shekhar S/o Sharadchandra Choube Aged About 37 Years R/o Satyam Vihar Colony Raipura, Police Station D D Nagar, Raipur, District Raipur Chhattisgarh (Description Of Applicant Mentioned As Per Charge Sheet) 2 - Arpit Jain @ Babu S/o Late Ratan Jain Aged About 36 Years R/o Gandhi Chowk Purana Sadar Bazar, Ward No. 32, Police Station Kotwali Durg, District Durg Chhattisgarh (Description Of Applicant Mentioned As Per Charge Sheet) ... Petitioner(s) versus 1 - State Of Chhattisgarh Through The Station House Officer, Police Of Police Station Bhatapara (City), District Balodabazar-Bhatapara Chhattisgarh ... Respondent(s) For Petitioner(s) : Mr. Anil Kumar Gulati, Advocate For Respondent(s) : Mr. Ghanshyam Kashyap, Dy. Govt. Advocate (Hon’ble Shri Justice Ravindra Kumar Agrawal, J.) Order on Board SUMIT KUMAR Digitally signed by SUMIT KUMAR Date: 2026.04.23 19:00:43 +0530 2 21/04/2026 1. This is the first bail application filed under Section 483 of Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 for grant of bail to the applicants, who are in jail since 08.05.2025 in connection with Crime No.288/2025 registered at Police Station Bhatapara (City), District Baloda Bazar - Bhatapara (C.G.) for the offence punishable under Sections 318(4), 319(2), 336(2), 336(3), 338, 340(2), 238, 111 of BNS, Section 7 & 8 of the Prohibition of Gambling Act and Section 42(2) of the Telecommunication Act and Section 66(C) and 66(D) of the Information Technology Act. 2. The case of the prosecution is that on 05.05.2025, the police of Police Station Bhatapara (City) received a secret information that a person is engaged in playing online gambling through his mobile phone near State Bank of India and betting in the IPL Cricket Match. The police conducted a raid and caught the co-accused Gourav Hablani, who was actively involved in online gambling. He was interrogated and he disclosed that he used Allpanelexch.app, the goexch09.com platform for betting in the IPC 20-20-Cricket match through his mobile No. 7224090781 and obtained online login password of Mc123456 and ID KLSGOI. He also disclosed that his brother Kapil Hablani, mobile No. 8421478285 and his friend Deepak Sablani, mobile No 7723008660, have also engaged in online gambling for a long time and residing at Vasco (South Goa) and using the betting platform of RBC139, Kheloyaar 164, Win Bu. The online betting platform Allpanelexch.app and goexch09.com were also provided to Gourav Hablani by Kapil Hablani and Deepak Sablani. From memorandum statement of these 3 accused persons, the name of other accused persons were disclosed who were also actively involved in the online gambling. From the memorandum statement of Aman Dewangan, the name of present applicants were disclosed that they were also involved in online gambling along with other accused persons. The present applicants were arrested on 08.05.2025 and mobile phones, mobile chargers and sim cards etc. were seized from them. 3. Learned counsel for the applicants would submit that except memorandum statement of co-accused Gaurav Hablani and Aman Dewangan, there is no other evidence against the applicants which directly connect them with the offence in question. The said memorandum is inadmissible in evidence. Except mobile phones or electronic gadgets like laptop or I-pad, no other incriminating articles were seized from them to implicate them in the offence in question. There is no material extracted from their electronic gadgets through which their engagement in the alleged offence of online gambling is reflecting. There is no document with respect to any bank transaction with other accused persons. They would further submit that other two accused persons Gaurav Hablani and Deepak Sablani have been granted bail by the Hon’ble Supreme Court vide order dated 09.02.2026 in SLP (Crl.) No. 20121/2025 and order dated 28.01.2026 passed in Criminal Appeal No.478 of 2026. The allegation against the present applicants are also similar to the allegations against those co- accused, therefore, the present applicants may also be released on bail as final adjudication may take sometime. He would also submit that there is no other criminal antecedent against the applicants. 4 4. On the other hand, learned counsel appearing for the State opposes the submission made by learned counsel for the applicants and submit that there are sufficient evidence against the applicants that they with association of other co-accused persons engaged in playing online gambling. Though their name appears in the memorandum statement of other co-accused persons, however, based on the memorandum statement of other co-accused persons as well as their own memorandum statements, number of mobile phones, laptop, tablets, passbooks and ATM cards have been seized. From the present applicant No.1 – Chandrashekhar Choube alias Shekhar four mobile phones, one tablet, two mobile chargers and two sim cards and from the applicant No.2 – Arpit Jain alias Babu two mobile phones and one mobile charger have been seized. He would further submit that from the memorandum statement of accused persons they disclosed their involvement in the offence in question and their syndicate. During investigation the entire network and manner in which they organized the crime were disclosed. Looking to the seriousness of the offence and their network through the country, they are not entitled for bail. Further, the allegation against co-accused Gaurav Hablani and Deepak Sablani are different than the allegation against the present applicants and even after releasing them on bail by the Supreme Court, the second bail application of co-accused Aman Dewangan has been rejected by this court vide order dated 16.02.2026 in MCrC No.1609 of 2026, first bail application of Anurag Tiwari has been rejected by this Court vide order dated 09.03.2026 in MCrC No. 2045 of 2026 and first bail applications of Girish Dhirwani in MCrC No. 2269 of 2026, Jason Stanislous in MCrC No. 2523 of 2026, Manish Patil in MCrC No. 2404 5 of 2026, Gaurav Pandey in MCrC No. 2410 of 2026, Deepak Dhirwani in MCrC No. 2297 of 2026 and Ajaj Sheikh in MCrC No. 2280/2026 have also been rejected by this Court vide order dated 23.03.2026, and therefore, the applicants are not entitled for bail. 5. I have heard the counsel for the parties and perused the material annexed with the application and case diary. 6. Considering the submissions made by learned counsel for the parties, considering the nature of allegation and the material available against the applicants in the charge sheet, prima facie evidence with respect to their involvement in the offence in question and their syndicate to engage online gambling throughout the country, active participation in their association and syndicate with the other accused persons, further considering the rejection of bail application of other co-accused persons including rejection of second bail application of co-accused Aman Dewangan on 16.02.2026 in MCrC No.1609 of 2026, this court is not inclined to release the applicants on bail. 7. Accordingly, the bail application filed by the present applicants – Chandrashekhar Choube alias Shekhar and Arpit Jain alias Babu for grant of bail is hereby rejected. Sd/- (Ravindra Kumar Agrawal) JUDGE Sumit