Ajay Batra Vs State of Chhattisgarh

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Digitally signed by V PADMAVATHI Date: 2026.06.24 12:18:24 +0530

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2026:CGHC:25243

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NAFR

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HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR

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MCRC No. 4408 of 2026

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Ajay Batra S/o Balchand Batra Aged About 44 Years R/o Mata Dewalay Ward Gabbar Colony Bhatapara, Ps Bhatapara City, Distt.- Balodabazar-Bhatapara (C.G.)

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... Applicant(s)

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versus

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State Of Chhattisgarh Through- The Ps- Station House Officer, Ps- Bhatapara City, Distt.- Balodabazar-Bhatapara (C.G.)

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----------------------------------	... Respondent(s) (Cause title is taken from the CIS) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For Applicant	: Shri Prakash Tiwari, and Shri V Jayant Kumar, Advocates
For Respondent/State	: Shri Vinod Tekam, GA

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Hon'ble Shri Justice Ravindra Kumar Agrawal

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Order on Board

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19.06.2026

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Heard on the application filed under Section 483 of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS, 2023). This is the first bail application before this Court filed by the applicant for grant of regular bail.

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The applicant has been arrested on 04.04.2026 in connection with Crime No.121 of 2026, registered at PS-Bhatapara City, DistrictBalodabazar-Bhatapara, Chhattisgarh for the offence punishable under Section 7 of the CG Gambling (Prohibition) Act, 2022, Sections 314, 317(2), 317(4), 111 of the BNS and Sections 66(C) & 66(D) of the IT Act.

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Mcrc 4408 of 2026

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2

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Case of the prosecution is that on 04.04.2026 on being received a secret information by the Bhatapara Police, the applicant was apprehended near Railway Station-Bhatapara and after seeing the police personnel he tried to flee from the spot. He was apprehended by the Police and mobile phone seized from him and on examination of the said mobile phone, one link of real play9.com and screen shot showing balance of Rs.49,192/- and another link of RUVIBET + 231889004635 was displayed and the link of https:/aldo---om/home was found. Applicant was found engaged in playing online gambling. Rs.5,780/cash has also been seized from the pocket of the applicant. The screen shot was taken out from the mobile phone and FIR has been registered against the applicant.

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During the investigation, with respect to the said mobile link, 16 other accused persons have also been arrested by the Bhatapara Police from Himachal Pradesh and charge sheet has been filed.

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Learned counsel for the petitioner would submit that only one mobile phone has been seized from the applicant. He is innocent and only upon the link of above mentioned games, which are offline games, he has been arrested. Applicant knows nothing that the games are online games. The amount shown in the screen shot is the balance of his bank account which normally shows in the mobile phone. He is the sole accused person in the present crime number and has not involved in any offence of online gambling. He would also submit that he has seen other

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Mcrc 4408 of 2026

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3

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accused persons which reflected from the order-sheets of the learned trial court who not related to the present crime number but they have been arrested in other different crime numbers. There is no past criminal antecedent against the present applicant. The applicant had gone to Nagpur for his treatment and while returning back, the police arrested him. He would also submit that offence is triable by the Judicial Magistrate First Class. Investigation of the case is completed and charge- sheet has been filed. Final adjudication of the case will take its own time. Applicant has liability of his family, as he is the sole breadwinner. Hence, he may be released on regular bail.

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On the other hand, learned counsel for the state opposed and submitted that applicant was found involved in online gambling. He was actively found involved at the time when he was engaged near the railway station at Bhatapara and on seeing the police personnel, he was trying to flee from the spot. He was apprehended by the police and in the mobile phone seized from him, there is link of online gambling and he was found engaged in online mobile link games of real play9.com, RUVIBET + 231889004635 and the link of https:/aldo---om/home. He would also submit that in the present case 16 other accused persons have also been arrested from Himachal Pradesh, who actively engaged in the said mobile link for online gambling. Though there is no criminal antecedent against the present applicant, however, looking to the gravity of the offence and involvement of the applicant in such a huge network of online gambling, he is not entitled for regular bail.

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Mcrc 4408 of 2026

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4

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Heard learned counsel for the parties and perused the case diary.

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Considering the submissions made by the learned counsel for the parties, also considering the nature of offence, screen shot taken out from the mobile phone of the applicant, in which link of online game is detected, balance amount is also shown on the screen of mobile phone of the applicant, involvement of other accused persons, prima-facie there is involvement of the applicant in playing online gambling and also considering the statement of Jai Bhueya and Yameen Baeg, I am not inclined to release the applicant on bail. The online gambling in such a huge net work affects economy of the country and has impact upon the society also.

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Accordingly, the bail application of the applicant- Ajay Batra, s/o Balchand batra is dismissed.

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Certified copy as per rules.

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Sd/- (Ravindra Kumar Agrawal) JUDGE

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padma

Ajay Batra v. State of Chhattisgarh

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Ajay Batra v. State of Chhattisgarh

Case brief

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