Smt. Sanjho Bai Vs State of Chhattisgarh — Murder and Culpable Homicide | Chhattisgarh HC (2026)

Smt. Sanjho Bai Vs State of Chhattisgarh — Murder and Culpable Homicide | Chhattisgarh HC (2026)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Direction to respondent No. 3/Collector, Jashpur to decide the application (Annexure P-1) dated 24-9-2024; petitioner to submit copies within 15 days and the Collector to decide within 45 days of receipt of the order; pending interlocutory applications stand disposed of.

Issue for consideration

Whether respondent No. 3/Collector, Jashpur should be directed to decide the petitioner's application (Annexure P-1) dated 24-9-2024 for grant of compensation.

Court's answer

Without entering into the merit of the case, the writ petition was disposed of at this stage, directing respondent No. 3/Collector, Jashpur to decide the petitioner's application (Annexure P-1).

Ratio / Principle

The petitioner was permitted to file the application along with a copy of Annexure P-1 and a copy of the order before the respondent No. 3/Collector within a period of 15 days.

Key takeaways

The application filed by the petitioner is to be decided by the respondent No. 3/Collector within a period of 45 days from the date of receipt of a copy of the order.ratio¶29

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Chhattisgarh High Court (Bilaspur), WPC No. 739 of 2026, order dated 16-3-2026, single judge: Naresh Kumar Chandravanshi, J. — Writ petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India seeking a direction to the Collector, Jashpur to decide the petitioner's pending compensation application. Per counsel's submission recorded in the order, the petitioner's husband was allegedly killed by police personnel of Police Station Kansabel in a fake encounter after being described as a nexalite; an inquiry reportedly found he was not a nexalite, and in Session case No. 211/1997, vide judgment dated 11-6-2002, the S.H.O. (H.R. Aharwat) was convicted under Section 304-I of the IPC and five other police personnel under Section 323/34 of the IPC. The petitioner's application (Annexure P-1) dated 24-9-2024 for grant of compensation before the Collector, Jashpur had not been decided. Held: without entering into the merit of the case, the petition was disposed of at this stage, directing the respondent No. 3/Collector, Jashpur to decide the application; the petitioner may file the application with a copy of Annexure P-1 and of the order within 15 days, and the Collector is to decide it within 45 days from receipt of a copy of the order. Pending interlocutory applications, if any, stand disposed of. No merits of the compensation claim were adjudicated; no compensation quantum is stated in the judgment.

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AVANISH KUMAR PATHAK

Digitally signed by AVANISH KUMAR PATHAK Date: 2026.03.17 17:21:21 +0530

2026:CGHC:12583

NAFR

HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR

WPC No. 739 of 2026

Smt. Sanjho Bai W/o Late Ramnath Ram Aged About 47 Years Caste- Nagvanshi, R/o Village- Dhegurjor, P.S. Kansabel, Tahsil- Bageecha, District- Jashpur (C.G.)

... Petitioner

versus

1 - State Of Chhattisgarh Through Its Secretary, Department Of Revenue And Disaster Management, Mahanadi Bhawan, Naya Raipur, District- Raipur, Chhattisgarh.

2 - State Of Chhattisgarh Through Its Secretary, Department Of Home, Mahanadi Bhawan, Naya Raipur, District- Raipur, Chhattisgarh.

3 - Collector District- Jashpur (C.G.)

4 - Sub Divisional Officer (Revenue) Bageecha, District- Jashpur (C.G.)

5 - Tahsildar Tahsil- Bageecha, District- Jashpur (C.G.)

... Respondent(s)

For Petitioner : Mr. Chandrasen Chouhan, Adv. For Respondent(s) : Mr. Shreyansh Mehta, Panel Lawyer

Hon'ble Shri Justice Naresh Kumar Chandravanshi

Order On Board

16-3-2026

The petitioner has preferred this writ petition under Article 226 of

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the Constitution of India praying for a direction to the respondent No. 3 to decide her application (Annexure P-1) dated 24-9-2024.

Learned counsel for the petitioner would submit that, late Ramnath Nagwanshi, who was husband of petitioner, was sought dead by the police personnel of Police Station Kansabel in a fake encounter by saying him to be a nexalite, but in the inquiry, it was revealed that he was not a nexalite, therefore, police personnel of Police Station, Kansabel were prosecuted in Session case No. 211/1997, in which vide judgment dated 11-6-2002, S.H.O. of the police station namely H.R. Aharwat has been convicted under Section 304-I of the IPC and 5 other police personnel have been convicted for the offence under Section 323/34 of the IPC. He further submits that, the petitioner filed an application (Annexure P-1) before the Collector, Jashpur for grant of compensation, but the same has not been decided yet. Hence, he prays that, respondent No. 3/Collector, Jashpur may be directed to decide Annexure P-1 filed by the petitioner within stipulated period.

Learned counsel for the State has no objection to allow the above prayer made by learned counsel for the petitioner.

Heard learned counsel for the parties and perused the material available on record.

Having considered the limited prayer made by learned counsel for the petitioner, without entering into the merit of the case, this petition is disposed of at this stage, directing the respondent No. 3/Collector,

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Jashpur to decide the application (Annexure P-1) dated 24-9-2024 filed by the petitioner. Petitioner may also file such application along with copy of Annexure P-1 and copy of this order before the respondent No. 3 / Collector within a period of 15 days from today. It is further observed that the application filed by the petitioner be decided by the respondent No. 3/Collector within a period of 45 days from the date of receipt of a copy of this order.

With the above directions and observations, this writ petition is disposed of.

Pending interlocutory application(s), if any, stands disposed of.

Sd/-

(Naresh Kumar Chandravanshi) Judge

pathak