Rajasthan High Court Grants Bail to Fraud Accused, Directs DGP to Probe Two SHOs

Jaipur, November 14, 2026 (Udaipur Kiran): The Rajasthan High Court has raised serious questions over the investigation conducted by police officers and the handling of bail applications by lower courts in a case involving allegations of fraud and forgery.

Justice Praveer Bhatnagar made the observations while allowing the third bail application of accused Anil Sheoran. The court also directed the Director General of Police (DGP) to initiate a preliminary inquiry against the then Station House Officer (SHO) and the present SHO of Jawahar Circle Police Station.

The court said that action should be taken under service rules if either officer is found responsible for any lapse.

Recovery of ATM Cards and Cheque Books Not Enough to Establish Fraud

The court observed that the recovery of four ATM cards and six unsigned cheque books from the accused was not, by itself, sufficient to establish offences of fraud or forgery.

According to the court, the chargesheet contained no evidence showing that the ATM cards had been used or that any transaction had taken place through the cheque books.

It said that bail could not be denied merely on the possibility that these items might be misused in the future or because cases had been registered against the accused in other states.

The court remarked that the investigating officer appeared to lack an understanding of basic legal requirements.

Investigation Officer Failed to Collect Key Evidence

The High Court questioned how the investigating officer had concluded that the alleged acts amounted to fraud and forgery.

It observed that the accused’s conduct could, at most, fall under the category of theft, but did not establish fraud or forgery on the available material.

The investigating officers had neither recorded statements of the account holders nor obtained the relevant bank statements, the court noted.

Lower Courts Rejected Bail Without Examining the Evidence

The High Court also expressed displeasure over the manner in which the two lower courts had rejected the accused’s earlier bail applications.

It said the magistrate’s court and the sessions court had dismissed the applications in a routine manner without examining whether prima facie evidence existed to establish the alleged offences of fraud and forgery.

The court observed that unsupported claims mentioned in a chargesheet cannot, by themselves, prove the commission of an offence.

It directed that a copy of its order be sent to the lower courts, advising them to examine the basic facts and evidence carefully while deciding such matters.

Accused Arrested with Four ATM Cards and Six Cheque Books

According to the case details, Jawahar Circle Police Station arrested Anil Sheoran after allegedly recovering four ATM cards and six cheque books from him.

He has been in judicial custody since December 10, 2025. Police filed the chargesheet in the case on March 13.

After his bail applications were rejected by the lower courts, the accused approached the High Court for the third time. The High Court allowed his application and ordered his release subject to conditions.

Conditions Imposed by the High Court

The court directed the accused to comply with the following conditions:

• He must report to the police station on the 25th of every month.
• Within seven days of his release from jail, he must provide his current residential address and phone number to the concerned SHO.

The bail order also directed the DGP to initiate a preliminary inquiry against the two SHOs and take action under service rules if they are found responsible.