Citation : 2025 Local Law (CG) 870 : 2025:CGHC:55587
The Chhattisgarh High Court on November 14, 2025, granted anticipatory bail to Tikeshwar Lahre, who had sought protection from arrest in a case arising from a reported shortage of paddy at the Kosir Paddy Society. The court, headed by Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha, heard submissions from both sides and noted that three co-accused in the same matter had already been granted similar relief, a factor the bench treated as persuasive on the question of parity. The order arises from Crime No. 94/2025 at Kosir police station, where an inspection allegedly found 3,043.22 quintals of paddy missing, with the loss valued at Rs. 94,33,982.
The prosecution’s case names offences under several provisions of the Bhartiya Nagrik Suraksha (BNS), 2023, including Sections 318(4), 316(5), 3(5) and 61(2)(b). Counsel for the applicant told the court that Lahre is the recorded holder of a small plot (Khasra No. 6, 0.267 hectare) and had legitimately purchased 42 quintals of paddy by token dated January 31, 2025, and therefore had been wrongly implicated. The state opposed the anticipatory bail but did not dispute that three co-accused had earlier been granted bail by the High Court.
Without expressing any opinion on the merits of the underlying allegations, the court allowed the anticipatory bail petition on the ground of parity with the earlier orders. The relief is conditional: on arrest, Lahre must execute a personal bond with one local surety in a like amount to the satisfaction of the arresting officer; he must not intimidate witnesses or interfere with the trial; he must attend every hearing before the trial court; he and the surety must submit Aadhaar copies and a full-size color postcard photo with the Aadhaar number printed on it for verification by the trial court; and he must not engage in any similar offence in the future. The bench recorded the case numbers and dates of the earlier bail orders for the co-accused.
The High Court’s approach highlights two familiar themes in criminal practice: courts will consider parity when co-accused in the same factual matrix have received similar relief, and anticipatory bail is often accompanied by strict conditions designed to protect the investigatory process and the integrity of the trial. For observers, the order underscores how courts balance the liberty of an accused with the need to ensure a fair and unimpeded prosecution in complex property or supply-chain loss cases.
Case Details : MCRCA No. 1774 of 2025, Tikeshwar Lahre vs State of Chhattisgarh
Counsels : For Applicant(s) : Mr. Udho Ram Koshaley, Advocate
For Respondent(s) : Ms. Supriya Upasne, Government Advocate
