Page No.# 1/4 GAHC010093652026 undefined THE GAUHATI HIGH COURT (HIGH COURT OF ASSAM, NAGALAND, MIZORAM AND ARUNACHAL PRADESH) Case No. : AB/1012/2026 GUPINATH SONOWAL S/O PADMADHAR SONOWAL, VILL- MOINAPARA, KADAM, P.S. BOGINODI, DIST. LAKHIMPUR, ASSAM. VERSUS THE STATE OF ASSAM REPRESENTED BY THE PP, ASSAM. Advocate for the Petitioner : MR H R A CHOUDHURY, MR. SAYED SALIM AHMED,S NAZNIN Advocate for the Respondent : PP, ASSAM, -BEFORE- HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE PRANJAL DAS 11-06-2026 Heard Mr. H.R.A Choudhury, learned Sr. counsel assisted by Mr. S.S Ahmed, learned counsel for the petitioner who appears through On- line mode. Also heard Mr. P. Borthakur, learned Addl. P.P appearing for the State through On-line mode. Page No.# 2/4 2. This is an application filed under Section 482 of the BNSS, 2023, praying for grant of pre-arrest bail to the accused/applicant namely, Gupinath Sonowal, in connection with North Lakhimpur P.S Case No.83/2024 under Sections 120(B)/406/420/409/468/471 of the IPC. 3. An FIR was lodged on 03.02.2024 alleging that the accused/applicant, who was serving as the Relationship Manager – Rural Lending at Axis Bank Ltd., North Lakhimpur Branch, along with certain other persons, sanctioned and disbursed certain loans without properly verifying the requisite documentation and without conducting mandatory field visits. Upon receipt of the FIR, the police registered North Lakhimpur Police Station Case No. 83/2024. On the basis of the aforesaid FIR, a departmental/disciplinary proceeding has been initiated against the accused/applicant by Axis Bank Ltd. He has been suspended by the concerned Bank. 4. An earlier bail petition was rejected by this Court on 30.03.2026 in AB No. 412 of 2026. 5. In the earlier bail petition, initially, the petitioner was granted interim bail, whereupon he had appeared before the I.O, but subsequently, for the reasons stated in that order, his bail petition came to be rejected at that stage. 6. The updated Case Dairy was called for and received. 7. The learned Senior Counsel for the petitioner submits that in the earlier round of bail litigation, upon being granted interim bail, he appeared before the I.O and rendered his full cooperation. 8. It is further submitted that the petitioner, who used to be an Page No.# 3/4 employee of Axis Bank, has been, in the meantime, dismissed from his service and therefore, there is no possibility of his tampering with any documentary evidence. It is submitted that the petitioner shall render co-operation to the remaining investigation. 9. On the other hand, the learned Additional PP reiterates that investigation has lent support to the allegations in the FIR and has found incriminating materials against the petitioner, as being involved in the alleged illegal activities. 10. It is submitted by the learned Additional P.P that some reports remain to be collected as part of the investigation. However, the prosecution fairly submits that investigation has undergone substantial progress. 11. I have perused the materials and considered the submissions. There is no doubt about the serious nature of allegations, being in the nature of financial fraud etc. 12. Nevertheless, more than, two months have elapsed since the rejection of his previous bail and in this period, the I.O has not arrested him. Further, the substantial progress in the investigation so far is also to be noted. In such a situation, granting of pre-arrest bail to the petitioner at this stage perhaps may not prejudice the investigation in any significant manner. 13. In such view of the matter, the subsequent bail petition is accepted and it is directed that in the event of arrest of the accused/petitioner, named above, in connection with the above mentioned case, he shall be released on bail on furnishing a bail bond of Rs. 50,000/- with a suitable surety of the like amount, to Page No.# 4/4 the satisfaction of the attesting authority subject to the following conditions: (i) He shall co-operate with the remaining investigation; (ii) He shall make himself available before the I.O once again and if the I.O considers it necessary to record his statement at the stage of up-to-date investigation, the same can be done so; (iii) He shall not hamper or tamper with evidence; (iv) He shall be available for trial if one commences. Violation of any of the conditions of the bail shall entail cancellation of the bail. 14. The anticipatory bail application stands allowed and disposed of. 15. Case Dairy may be returned back to the learned Addl. P.P to the concerned P.S. JUDGE Comparing Assistant