1 GOURI MUDALIAR Digitally signed CGHC010338482026 2026:CGHC:39354 by GOURI MUDALIAR Date: 2026.09.09 13:01:04 +0530 NAFR HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR MCRC No. 8239 of 2026 Dr. Priyanka Soni W/o Shri Mihir Savita Mohan Aged About 36 Years Senior Resident Doctor Indira Gandhi Govt. College And Hospital (I G G M C H ) Nagpur ( M H ) R/o Plot No.314 H B Instate Phase Songaon Nagpur (M.H.) Permanent R/o House No.50, Gouri Ganesh Colony Mangla Shubham Vihar Bilaspur Dist- Bilaspur (C.G.) ... Applicant versus State Of Chhattisgarh Through Station House Officer (S.H.O.) P.S. Civil Lines District- Bilaspur (C.G.) ... Respondent For Applicant : Shri Devershi Thakur along with Shubhojeet Majumdar, Advocate. For : Shri Jitendra Shrivastava, G.A. Respondent/State SB: Hon'ble Shri Parth Prateem Sahu, Judge Order on Board 08/09/2026 1. This is the first bail application filed under Section 483 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 for grant of regular bail to the 2 applicant who has been arrested in connection with Crime No. 841/2026 registered at Police Station Civil Lines, District- Bilaspur (C.G.) for the offence punishable under Sections 420, 467, 468, 471, 120-B of the Indian Penal Code.

2. Case of the prosecution, in brief, is that complainant Daulat Ram Thakur, Naib Nazir Garde-II posted in the Office of the Tahsildar, Bilaspur, CG, submitted a written report before Police Station Civil Lines, District Bilaspur, CG alleging that the present applicant, Dr. Priyanka Soni, along with other persons, had deliberately concealed the actual cause of death and, by adopting fraudulent means, dishonestly obtained financial assistance of Rs.4,00,000/- under the Government's Snakebite/Poisonous Animal Bite Death Assistance Scheme, thereby causing wrongful loss to the State exchequer and corresponding wrongful gain to themselves. Upon finding a prima facie case, an offence under Crime No. 841/2026 u/s 420, 467, 468, 471, 120-B of Indian Penal Code, 1860 has been registered by the Police Station Civil Lines, District Bilaspur, CG and the matter was taken up for investigation. During investigation the applicant has been arrested on 06/08/2026. Hence this bail application. 3. Learned counsel for the applicant submits that according to the allegation the applicant has prepared the postmortem report disclosing that the death of the deceased is due to snake bite which has been subsequently found to be wrong report as death was not due to the snake bite. He would submit that the applicant was arrested on 17/07/2026 in other case and shown to be arrested in this case on 06/08/2026 and by now all the interrogation so far as relate to the 3

applicant may have been concluded. He would submit that the applicant by profession is a doctor and therefore there is no apprehension of her absconding, she will participate in the investigation proceedings and conclusion of trial may take some time, hence she be granted bail. 4. On the other hand, learned State counsel would oppose the submission of learned counsel for the applicant and he would submit that there are specific allegation against the applicant of preparation of false postmortem report. He would submit that there are three more criminal antecedents against the applicant of similar nature. He would also submit that charge sheet has not been filed in this case. 5. I have heard learned counsel for the parties and perused the materials available on record. 6. Taking into consideration the facts and circumstances of the case, submission of learned counsel for the parties, materials available on record, nature of allegation levelled against the applicant, applicant is a lady doctor and she is in jail since 06/08/2026 in this case and also considering the fact that trial is likely to take some time for its conclusion, without commenting anything on the merits of the case, I am inclined to allow this bail application.

7. Accordingly, the bail application is allowed. It is directed that the applicant shall be released on regular bail, upon furnishing a bail bond in the sum of Rs.25,000/- with one surety in the like sum to the satisfaction of the Court on the conditions that-4 (i) The applicant shall file an undertaking to the effect that she shall not seek any adjournment on the dates fixed for evidence when the witnesses are present in court. In case of default of this condition, it shall be open for the trial court to treat it as abuse of liberty of bail and pass orders in accordance with law. (ii) The applicant shall remain present before the trial court on each date fixed, either personally or through her counsel. In case of her absence, without sufficient cause, the trial court may proceed against her under Section 269 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. (iii) In case, the applicant misuses the liberty of bail during trial and in order to secure her presence, proclamation under Section 84 of BNSS. is issued and the applicant fails to appear before the court on the date fixed in such proclamation, then, the trial court shall initiate proceedings against her, in accordance with law, under Section 209 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

(iv) The applicant shall remain present, in person, before the trial court on the dates fixed for (i) opening of the case, (ii) framing of charge and (iii) recording of statement under Section 351 of BNSS. If in the opinion of the trial court absence of the applicant is deliberate or without sufficient cause, then it shall be open for the trial court to treat such default as abuse of liberty of bail and proceed against her in accordance with law. 8. Office is directed to send a certified copy of this order to the trial Court concerned for necessary information and compliance. Sd/- (Parth Prateem Sahu) Judge gouri

1 GOURI MUDALIAR Digitally signed CGHC010338482026 2026:CGHC:39354 by GOURI MUDALIAR Date: 2026.09.09 13:01:04 +0530 NAFR HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR MCRC No. 8239 of 2026 Dr. Priyanka Soni W/o Shri Mihir Savita Mohan Aged About 36 Years Senior Resident Doctor Indira Gandhi Govt. College And Hospital (I G G M C H ) Nagpur ( M H ) R/o Plot No.314 H B Instate Phase Songaon Nagpur (M.H.) Permanent R/o House No.50, Gouri Ganesh Colony Mangla Shubham Vihar Bilaspur Dist- Bilaspur (C.G.) ... Applicant versus State Of Chhattisgarh Through Station House Officer (S.H.O.) P.S. Civil Lines District- Bilaspur (C.G.) ... Respondent For Applicant : Shri Devershi Thakur along with Shubhojeet Majumdar, Advocate. For : Shri Jitendra Shrivastava, G.A. Respondent/State SB: Hon'ble Shri Parth Prateem Sahu, Judge Order on Board 08/09/2026 1. This is the first bail application filed under Section 483 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 for grant of regular bail to the 2 applicant who has been arrested in connection with Crime No. 841/2026 registered at Police Station Civil Lines, District- Bilaspur (C.G.) for the offence punishable under Sections 420, 467, 468, 471, 120-B of the Indian Penal Code.

2. Case of the prosecution, in brief, is that complainant Daulat Ram Thakur, Naib Nazir Garde-II posted in the Office of the Tahsildar, Bilaspur, CG, submitted a written report before Police Station Civil Lines, District Bilaspur, CG alleging that the present applicant, Dr. Priyanka Soni, along with other persons, had deliberately concealed the actual cause of death and, by adopting fraudulent means, dishonestly obtained financial assistance of Rs.4,00,000/- under the Government's Snakebite/Poisonous Animal Bite Death Assistance Scheme, thereby causing wrongful loss to the State exchequer and corresponding wrongful gain to themselves. Upon finding a prima facie case, an offence under Crime No. 841/2026 u/s 420, 467, 468, 471, 120-B of Indian Penal Code, 1860 has been registered by the Police Station Civil Lines, District Bilaspur, CG and the matter was taken up for investigation. During investigation the applicant has been arrested on 06/08/2026. Hence this bail application. 3. Learned counsel for the applicant submits that according to the allegation the applicant has prepared the postmortem report disclosing that the death of the deceased is due to snake bite which has been subsequently found to be wrong report as death was not due to the snake bite. He would submit that the applicant was arrested on 17/07/2026 in other case and shown to be arrested in this case on 06/08/2026 and by now all the interrogation so far as relate to the 3

applicant may have been concluded. He would submit that the applicant by profession is a doctor and therefore there is no apprehension of her absconding, she will participate in the investigation proceedings and conclusion of trial may take some time, hence she be granted bail. 4. On the other hand, learned State counsel would oppose the submission of learned counsel for the applicant and he would submit that there are specific allegation against the applicant of preparation of false postmortem report. He would submit that there are three more criminal antecedents against the applicant of similar nature. He would also submit that charge sheet has not been filed in this case. 5. I have heard learned counsel for the parties and perused the materials available on record. 6. Taking into consideration the facts and circumstances of the case, submission of learned counsel for the parties, materials available on record, nature of allegation levelled against the applicant, applicant is a lady doctor and she is in jail since 06/08/2026 in this case and also considering the fact that trial is likely to take some time for its conclusion, without commenting anything on the merits of the case, I am inclined to allow this bail application.

7. Accordingly, the bail application is allowed. It is directed that the applicant shall be released on regular bail, upon furnishing a bail bond in the sum of Rs.25,000/- with one surety in the like sum to the satisfaction of the Court on the conditions that-4 (i) The applicant shall file an undertaking to the effect that she shall not seek any adjournment on the dates fixed for evidence when the witnesses are present in court. In case of default of this condition, it shall be open for the trial court to treat it as abuse of liberty of bail and pass orders in accordance with law. (ii) The applicant shall remain present before the trial court on each date fixed, either personally or through her counsel. In case of her absence, without sufficient cause, the trial court may proceed against her under Section 269 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. (iii) In case, the applicant misuses the liberty of bail during trial and in order to secure her presence, proclamation under Section 84 of BNSS. is issued and the applicant fails to appear before the court on the date fixed in such proclamation, then, the trial court shall initiate proceedings against her, in accordance with law, under Section 209 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

(iv) The applicant shall remain present, in person, before the trial court on the dates fixed for (i) opening of the case, (ii) framing of charge and (iii) recording of statement under Section 351 of BNSS. If in the opinion of the trial court absence of the applicant is deliberate or without sufficient cause, then it shall be open for the trial court to treat such default as abuse of liberty of bail and proceed against her in accordance with law. 8. Office is directed to send a certified copy of this order to the trial Court concerned for necessary information and compliance. Sd/- (Parth Prateem Sahu) Judge gouri