1 2026:CGHC:20505 NAFR HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR MCRCA No. 656 of 2026 1 - Himanshu Israni S/o Shri Govind Kumar Israni Aged About 28 Years R/o Ganj Road, Gobra Nawapara, Police Station Gobra Nawapara, Raipur, Distt. Raipur Chhattisgarh ... Applicant versus 1 - State Of Chhattisgarh Through Police Station, Gudhiyari, Distt. Raipur Chhattisgarh ... Non-applicant For Applicant : Shri Pragalbha Sharma, Advocate. For State/Non-applicant : Shri Nitansh Jaiswal, Dy. G.A. Hon'ble Shri Ramesh Sinha, Chief Justice Order On Board 01/05/2026 1. The applicant has preferred this application under Section 482 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (for short ‘BNSS’), for grant of anticipatory bail, apprehending his arrest in connection with Crime No.17/2025, registered at Police Station Gudhiyari, District Raipur (C.G.) for alleged commission of offence punishable under Sections 318(4), 111 and 3(5) of B.N.S., 2023. NIKITA JAIN Digitally signed by NIKITA JAIN Date: 2026.05.04 10:49:13 +0530 2 2. The case of the prosecution, in brief, is that a written complaint was submitted by one Umakant Verma, a grade -II employee at Loco Shed, Bilaspur, and lodged a report at Police Station Gudhiyari, District Raipur alleging that he received messages through whatsapp number 9690047185, offering to earn money from home by doing free tasks. It was informed to the complainant that by liking products shown on the Amazon App and sending screenshots, he would receive cashback at the rate of Rs.50 per like, and he would also be given "prepaid tasks" for which he would earn 30% profit on the amount deposited. Believing this, the complainant was cheated online of a total amount of Rs.50,00,000/- on different dates through different bank accounts. During investigation, the police filed charge-sheet, and the specific allegation against the present applicant is that he had received an amount of Rs.50,000/- from the complainant in his bank account. On the basis of a complaint, a criminal case bearing Crime No. 17/2025 has been registered at Police Station Gudhiyari, District Raipur, for offences punishable under Sections 318(4), 111 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. 3. Learned counsel for the applicant submits that the applicant is innocent and has been falsely implicated, and merely because an amount was credited into his account, no criminal liability can be fastened upon him. It is further submitted that the applicant is willing to cooperate with the investigation and no custodial interrogation is required. He submits further that similarly placed co-accused persons have been granted regular bail by this Court and, therefore, the applicant is entitled to the benefit of parity. 3 4. On the other hand, learned State counsel opposes the prayer for grant of anticipatory bail and submits that the allegations indicate an organized method of laundering money through mule accounts, which is a serious economic offence, therefore, the anticipatory bail application of the applicant deserves to be rejected. 5. I have heard learned counsel for the parties and perused the case diary. 6. Taking into consideration the nature and gravity of allegation involving large-scale online fraud, which is punishable with severe consequences, the manner in which the fraud has been committed, the requirement of custodial interrogation for effective investigation, and also considering the grant of regular bail to co-accused after arrest does not automatically entitle the applicant to anticipatory bail, especially when the investigation against him is still in progress and stands on a different footing, I am not inclined to grant anticipatory bail to the applicant. 7. Accordingly, the anticipatory bail application of the applicant - Himanshu Israni, involved in Crime No.17/2025, registered at Police Station Gudhiyari, District - Raipur (C.G.) for alleged commission of offence punishable under Sections 318(4), 111 and 3(5) of B.N.S. is rejected. Sd/- Sd/- (Ramesh Sinha) Chief Justice Nikita