News Citation : 2026 LN (HC) 101 | 2026:CGHC:1950
January 13, 2026 : The High Court of Chhattisgarh has rejected a bail plea filed by Bande Noniya, who is accused of supplying poisonous homemade liquor linked to the deaths of four people in Bilaspur district.
The order was passed by Ramesh Sinha, Chief Justice of the High Court, while hearing Noniya’s first application for regular bail under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.
According to the prosecution, the incident dates back to February 5, 2025, when one of the victims, Dev Prasad, fell ill and was admitted to Chhattisgarh Institute of Medical Sciences. He died during treatment the same day. A merg inquiry later revealed that the deceased had consumed locally brewed liquor. Investigators alleged that the liquor was purchased from Panch Bai, also known as Pancho Lahre, who in her memorandum statement claimed that the liquor had been supplied by Bande Noniya.
Following the inquiry, Crime No. 400 of 2025 was registered at Koni police station under Sections 105 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, relating to culpable homicide and common intention. Noniya was arrested on August 28, 2025.
Arguing for bail, counsel for the applicant claimed that Noniya had been falsely implicated solely on the basis of the co-accused’s statement. It was also pointed out that the charge sheet had already been filed and that there was a delay of nearly six months in lodging the FIR. The defence submitted that the trial was likely to take considerable time and sought release on bail.
The State opposed the plea, stressing the seriousness of the offence and the fact that four people had died after consuming the spurious liquor. The prosecution also highlighted that Noniya has eight criminal antecedents, with several cases still pending, and argued that he was a habitual offender. The State further noted that the bail application of the co-accused Panch Bai had already been rejected by the High Court in December 2025.
After examining the case diary and hearing both sides, the Court held that this was not a fit case for grant of bail. The Court relied on the gravity of the offence, the applicant’s criminal history, and the Supreme Court’s ruling in Deepak Yadav v. State of Uttar Pradesh, which emphasises that prior criminal antecedents are a relevant factor while deciding bail. The Court concluded that the applicant had previously misused bail and posed a continuing risk, and accordingly dismissed the bail application.
Case Reference : MCRC No. 10534 of 2025, Bande Noniya v. State of Chhattisgarh; for the applicant: Mr. Vaibhav A. Goverdhan, Advocate; for the respondent: Mr. Vinod Kumar Tekam, Government Advocate.
