The Chhattisgarh High Court rejected bail for three applicants facing charges of cheating and organized online gambling. The court held that evidence of an extensive gambling network justified denial of bail despite the complainant recovering her funds and the trial being advanced.
Bail application rejected; applicants are to remain in custody.
This page shows the compact analysis of this judgement. The full analysis — procedural history, issue-by-issue holdings with ratio and obiter, advocates, and paragraph-level evidence for every claim — is being added to the record in batches and will appear here when this judgement has been through it.
VED PRAKASH DEWANGAN Digitally signed byVED PRAKASH DEWANGAN Date: 2026.09.17 18:17:19 +0530
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CGHC010325802026 2026:CGHC:40310
NAFR
HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR
MCRC No. 8190 of 2026
1 - Abhishek Dambade S/o Santosh Dambade Aged About 24 Years R/o Paras, P.S. Balapur, District Akola Maharashtra
3 - Ram Chand Choube S/o Janardan Choube Aged About 21 Years R/o Manarkhed, P.S. Balapur, District Akola Maharashtra
... Applicants
versus
State Of Chhattisgarh Through S H O Police Station Khairagarh, District Khairagarh-Chhuikhadan-Gandai Chhattisgarh
... Respondent
(Cause title taken from Case Information System)
For Applicants : Dr. Shailesh Ahuja, Advocate For Respondent/State : Mr. Rishiraj Pithwa, Deputy G.A
Hon'ble Shri Justice Ravindra Kumar Agrawal
Order on Board
15/09/2026
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connection with Crime No. 476/2025, registered at Police Station Khairagarh, District Khairagarh-Chhuikhadan-Gandai (C.G.) for the offence under Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and Section 66-D of Information Technology (Amendment) Act, 2008. Subsequently, the charge sheet was filed for the offence under Sections 111(2), 318(4), 319 and 61(2)(b) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, Section 66-D of Information Technology Act, 2000 (as amended in the year 2008) and Sections 6 and 7 of the Chhattisgarh Gambling (Prohibition) Act, 2022.
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location and transactions made by the accused persons and conducted raid at Mumbai from where the present applicants have been arrested. Their memorandum statements have been recorded on 24.10.2025, in which they disclosed their involvement in online gambling activities. The police have seized 01 mobile phone, 06 ATM cards, 08 passbooks, 01 cheque book and 02 SIM cards from the applicant No.1 Abhishek Dambade; 02 mobile phones, 07 ATM cards, 06 bank passbooks and 03 SIM cards have been seized from the applicant No.2 Manoj Mukhiya; and 06 mobile phones, 01 laptop, 05 bank passbooks, 02 cheque books, 03 ATM cards, 01 SBI debit card and two SIM cards from applicant No.3 Ram Chand Choube. The various mobile phones, bank passbooks, cheque books, SIM cards and ATM cards have also been seized from other accused persons. After completion of investigation charge sheet has been filed before the learned trial Court, in which the applicants are claiming regular bail.
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simple case of cheating has been converted by the police authorities in the case of online gambling, in which the applicants are not involved and there is no legally admissible evidence to connect them with online gambling activities. He would further submit that the allegation of organized crime has not been satisfied by the prosecution and no sufficient material as required for organized crime is available in the charge sheet to prosecute the applicants for the said offence. Except the electronic evidence, there is no other material to show that they are running the betting App and involved in the offence of cheating through online mode or online gambling. The applicants are in jail since 25.10.2025. They are the students and imparting education at Mumbai. Final adjudication of the case will take its own time, no any further custodial interrogation is required, there is no criminal antecedent against the applicants, therefore, they may be enlarged on bail.
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On examination of their mobile phones and electronic gadgets, large numbers of their mobile chats, QR codes, screenshots and bank account details have been extracted, which directly connects the accused persons with the offence of online gambling. Had they been imparting their education from Mumbai, they would not have been found in possession of such a huge quantity of electronic gadgets, passbooks and ATM cards of different banks and in the name of different persons. He would further submit that out of 10 cited witnesses in the charge sheet, 06 witnesses have already been examined before the learned trial Court and the trial of the case is at its fag end. He would further submit that even though the complainant Ku. Vasudha Sinha received her money back and she does not want to prosecute her complaint further, looking to the seriousness of the offence and other evidence of online gambling available in the charge sheet, no benefit could be extended to the accused persons on the ground that the complainant has not supported the prosecution’s case. In view of the nature of offence, the manner in which the applicants are allegedly involved in the offence in question, they are not entitled to be released on bail.
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bank passbooks, cheque books and SIM cards from the applicants and other accused persons, coupled with the electronic evidence in the form of chats, QR codes, screenshots and bank account details, prima facie connecting the applicants with the alleged activities, this Court is of the considered view that the allegations cannot be treated as a mere case of cheating confined to the complainant. The fact that the complainant has received back the amount allegedly transferred by her and has not supported the prosecution case would not, at this stage, efface the other incriminating material collected during investigation or dilute the allegations relating to organized online gambling activities. Out of 10 cited witnesses, 06 witnesses have already been examined and the trial of the case is at its advance stage. Though the applicants have remained in custody since 25.10.2025 and the charge-sheet has already been filed, the seriousness of the allegations, the nature of the material available on record and the stage of the trial do not persuade this Court to exercise its discretion in favour of the applicants.
Sd/(Ravindra Kumar Agrawal) Judge
ved
3 issues framed by the court
Whether the applicants are entitled to bail despite the charge-sheet being filed and the trial being at an advanced stage.
Whether the fact that the complainant received her money back warrants granting bail in a case alleging organized online gambling.
Whether the evidence of organized gambling and electronic material collected justifies denial of bail despite the applicants being students.
4 provisions across 4 enactments
Abhishek Dambade
Manoj Mukhiya
Ram Chand Choube
State Of Chhattisgarh
Ravindra Kumar Agrawal
As recorded by the court registry
Judgements on the same questions, provisions and authorities, from every court
