Siddhant S/O Vinod Rai v. The State Of Maharashtra Thr Pso., Ps Beltarodi, Tq. And Dist. Nagpur

2026:BHC-NAG:5137 1 56 aba116.26.odt

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY

: NAGPUR BENCH : NAGPUR.

CRIMINAL APPLICATION[ABA] NO. 116 OF 2026 SIDDHANT VINOD RAI VERSUS STATE OF MAH., THRU. P.S.O., P.S., BELTARODI, NAGPUR. and CRIMINAL APPLICATION[ABA] NO. 117 OF 2026 SIDDHANT VINOD RAI VERSUS STATE OF MAH., THRU. P.S.O., P.S., BELTARODI, NAGPUR. and CRIMINAL APPLICATION[ABA] NO. 118 OF 2026 SIDDHANT VINOD RAI VERSUS STATE OF MAH., THRU. P.S.O., P.S., BELTARODI, NAGPUR. and CRIMINAL APPLICATION[ABA] NO. 119 OF 2026 SIDDHANT VINOD RAI VERSUS STATE OF MAH., THRU. P.S.O., P.S., BELTARODI, NAGPUR. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Office Notes, Office Memoranda of Coram, Court's or Judge's Order appearances, Court's Orders or directions and Registrar's order ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mr. J. K.

Matale, Advocate for the applicant in all applications. Mr. N. S. Autkar, A.P.P. for the State in ABA 116/26 & 117/26 Ms. D.V. Sapkal, A.P.P. for the non-applicant/State in ABA 118/26 Mr. S. B. Bissa, A.P.P. for the non-applicant/State in ABA 119/26 CORAM : M. W. CHANDWANI, J.

DATE : MARCH 27, 2026.

1.

All these four applications are filed by the same applicant who has been named as an accused in four different crimes registered with Police Station, Beltarodi, Nagpur with similar allegations of theft. All the four offences are registered within a span of one month and therefore, they are being disposed of by this common order.

2.

Heard the learned counsel appearing on behalf of the applicant and the respective learned A.P.P.s appearing on behalf of the non-applicant/State. Perused the case diaries.

2 56 aba116.26.odt 3.

The applicant is apprehending arrest in connection with the following offences registered with Police Station, Beltarodi, Nagpur.

Sr.

ABA No.

Crime Offences under the BNS, Date No.

1.

116/2026 540/2025 305(a), 331(3), 331(4) 23.09.2025 2.

117/2026 477/2025 305(a), 331(3), 331(4) 27.08.2025 3.

118/2026 520/2025 305(a), 331(3) 14.09.2025 4.

119/2026 471/2025 305 25.08.2025 4.

The complainant in ABA No. 116/2026 alleges that between the intervening period of 16.09.2025 to 21.09.2025 when the complainant was admitted to the hospital and his wife and son had accompanied him to the hospital to take care of him, someone broke into his house by breaking the lock of the main door and stole ornaments worth Rs.60,000/-. The complainant in ABA No. 117/2026 alleges that he has recently constructed a new house for his family at Parsodi and resides in both his houses with his family. On 27.08.2025, when he came to his new house at Parsodi, after spending the night at his old house at Nimita Cooperative Housing Society, he found that someone broke into his house by breaking the lock and gold and silver ornaments to the tune of Rs.68,500/- have been stolen. Similarly, the complainant in ABA No. 118/2026 alleges that when he and his wife were attending the last rites of his wife's grandmother at Parshivni, someone broke into his house situated at

3 56 aba116.26.odt Beltarodi and stole gold and silver ornaments worth Rs.3,69,401/- by breaking the lock of the wooden main door of his house. Likewise, the complainant in ABA No. 119/2026 alleges that on 25.08.2025, someone unlawfully entered her house and stole gold and cash worth Rs.69,000/- from the safe locker situated in the bedroom.

5.

The police began investigation and arrested main accused Naman Pethe who revealed his modus operendi. He also informed the police that he mainly targeted houses that were locked during the afternoon hours. He revealed nine locations which the applicant had given him informing that these are ideal locations to commit theft without getting caught. Out of these 9 locations, 4 matched with the FIRs lodged by the present complainants.

6.

Perusal of the case diaries reveal that accused Naman Pethe committed theft in various flats/houses and stole gold ornaments and cash to the tune of approximately Rs.5,66,000/-. Accused Naman Pethe is arrested. The gold has been recovered from Naman Pethe. The case diaries further reveal that a total of nine offences are registered against him on similar allegations. Main accused Naman Pethe made a statement that he was trained by the applicant in committing theft. Moreover, there is a statement of a witness dated 05.10.2025 in

4 56 aba116.26.odt Crime No. 540/2025 in which he has stated that the applicant accompanied accused Naman Pethe for the selling stolen gold to Arvind Jewelers.

7.

Thus, there is material against the applicant in the form of the statements of witnesses showing that he accompanied the main accused to sell the stolen gold to the jewelers. Prima facie, it appears that the accused persons conspired with each other to commit theft at various dwelling houses in order to get financial gains in a planned and synchronized manner. Main accused Naman Pethe used to commit theft at various places and the present applicant provided him with the plan to execute these thefts and also helped him in selling the stolen gold ornaments in various shops. No doubt, the gold has been recovered, however, various angles are required to be investigated by the Investigating Officer to go to the root of the crimes registered against the applicant for which, custodial interrogation of the applicant is necessary. 8.

In the facts of the present case, the decision of the Supreme Court in the case of P. Krishna Mohan Reddy Vs. State of Andhra Pradesh, in Special Leave Petition (Criminal) No. 7532/2025 (decided on 16.05.2025) relied upon by the applicant wherein, the law with regard to confessional statement of co-accused has been enunciated, will not be applicable. In the said case, it is held that the confessional statement of a co-accused is a very weak

5 56 aba116.26.odt piece of evidence. However, in the case at hand, there is a statement of a witness who has mentioned that the applicant helped the main accused in selling the stolen gold. Therefore, it is not the case that only on the basis of the statement of the co-accused, the applicant is being implicated in the crime.

9.

Considering the fact that there are almost nine offences registered against the present applicant along with the main accused, coupled with the fact that there is material in the case diary which shows that the applicant is involved in selling stolen gold to the jewelers and he trained various other persons for committing theft, no case is made out for grant of the extraordinary relief of anticipatory bail to the applicant.

10.

Accordingly, the Criminal Applications are rejected. ( M.W.Chandwani, J. ) Diwale Signed by: DIWALE Designation: PS To Honourable Judge Date: 01/04/2026 19:52:32