MP High Court Grants Anticipatory Bail To Alleged Online Betting Associates On Ground Of Parity

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has granted anticipatory bail to four persons accused in an alleged online betting racket, observing that they were implicated only on the basis of the memorandum statement of the main accused and were therefore entitled to the same relief that had already been extended to a similarly placed co-accused.

Justice Vivek Jain passed the order while allowing separate anticipatory bail applications filed by Matadin Rajak, Satish Dhakad and others, Naval Kishore Dhakad, and Raghav Dhakad in connection with Crime No. 80/2026 registered at Bamori Police Station in Guna district. The applicants were booked for offences under Section 4-A of the Public Gambling Act and Section 112(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

Appearing for the applicants were Advocates Ashish Singh Jadoun, Girish Kumar and Alok Kumar Sharma, while the State was represented by Public Prosecutor Rinkesh Goyal.

According to the prosecution, the main accused, identified as Prakash, was apprehended on April 11, 2026, while allegedly conducting online betting operations through his mobile phone using the website “1ex99.in”. During investigation, Prakash allegedly disclosed the names of several persons who were either introduced to the betting business by him or had introduced him to the activity. Based on this disclosure, the present applicants were made accused in the case.

The applicants argued before the Court that their implication rested entirely on the memorandum statement of the main accused. They further contended that another accused, Kapil Soni, who had also been implicated on the basis of the same memorandum statement, had already been granted anticipatory bail by a coordinate Bench of the High Court in May this year.

Relying on the principle of parity, the applicants submitted that their case stood on the same footing as that of Kapil Soni and that they were therefore entitled to identical protection from arrest.

Opposing the plea, the State argued that there was a distinction between the role attributed to Kapil Soni and that of at least one of the present applicants. The prosecution contended that while Kapil Soni was allegedly one of the persons initiated into the betting business by Prakash, applicant Matadin Rajak was described as one of the individuals who had introduced Prakash to betting activities.

However, the Court found that all the applicants had ultimately been implicated only on the basis of the memorandum statement made by the main accused. The State was unable to point out any substantial distinguishing circumstance that would justify a different approach from the one adopted in Kapil Soni’s case.

Recording this conclusion, the Court observed, “However, it reveals that all these persons have been roped in only on the basis of memorandum of main accused-Prakash. Therefore, finding no distinguishing ground from the case of Kapil Soni, this Court is inclined to grant anticipatory bail to the present applicants on the ground of parity.”

Without expressing any opinion on the merits of the allegations, the Court allowed the applications and directed that in the event of arrest, each applicant shall be released on bail upon furnishing a bond of Rs. 50,000 along with one solvent surety of the like amount to the satisfaction of the concerned Station House Officer or Arresting Officer.

The Court also directed the applicants to comply with all conditions prescribed under Section 482(2) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.

The order reiterates the significance of the principle of parity in bail jurisprudence and underscores that similarly situated accused persons should ordinarily receive similar treatment unless clear distinguishing factors are demonstrated before the Court.

Case Title: Matadin Rajak v. The State of Madhya Pradesh with connected matters

Date of Order: June 10, 2026

Bench: Justice Vivek Jain