Smt. Rajni Shastri vs The State Of Madhya Pradesh on 25 February, 2026

Author: Anand Pathak

Bench: Anand Pathak

                                                               1


                                       IN THE HIGH COURT OF MADHYA PRADESH
                                                    AT GWALIOR
                                                     CRA No. 1374/2022
                                  (SMT. RAJNI SHASTRI AND OTHERS Vs THE STATE OF MADHYA PRADESH )

                          Dated: 25/02/2026
                                Shri Atul Gupta - Advocate for appellants.
                                Shri    Rajesh   Shukla    -   Additional     Advocate     General   for
                          respondent/State.

Heard on I.A.No.268/2026, third repeat application under Section 389 (1) of Cr.P.C. for suspension of sentence and grant of bail to appellant No.2 - Shivkant @ Vachaspati Sharma.

2. The instant appeal has been preferred by the present appellant against the impugned judgment of conviction and sentence dated 29.01.2022 passed in ST No.243/2015 by Third Additional Sessions Judge, Bhind, whereby present appellant has been convicted and sentenced as under:-

                                   Section         Imprisonment                    Fine
                             302/34 of IPC             Life               Rs.3,000/- with default
                                                   Imprisonment                 stipulation
                             450 of IPC              7 years' R.I.        Rs.2,000/- with default
                                                                                stipulation
                             25 (1B) (a) of          1 year's R.I.        Rs.1,000/- with default
                             Arms Act                                           stipulation

3. It is the submission of counsel for appellant No.2 that trial Court erred in convicting and awarding jail sentence to present appellant. It is further submitted that case of present appellant is at par with case of co- accused Sunil, who is enlarged on bail vide order dt.04.09.2025 passed in connected Cr.A.No.1719/2022. He fairly submits that earlier his

application was dismissed as withdrawn on 28 th Oct.2025, but looking to the facts and period of custody, which is more than 4 years and two months, his case be considered for bail.

4. It is further submitted that present appellant never entered into the shop where deceased was shot by co-accused Shibbu (juvenile). In fact, he stood out side the shop. Weapon recovered from his possession, was found to be a weapon, which was not used in commission of offence becuase ballistic report does not indicate so. In fact, it was a case where sister of present appellant was tried to be molested by deceased and his family members and therefore, motive was apparent for co-accused Shibbu to enter into the shop but he suffered sentence/community service for three years as juvenile.

4. Present appellant voluntarily undertakes to perform community service to purge his misdeeds, if any and to serve National /Environmental/Social cause. With the aforesaid submissions, he prays for suspension of sentence and grant of bail to present appellant.

5. Learned counsels for the State opposed the application and prayed for its dismissal.

6. Heard the counsel for parties and perused the record.

7. Considering the submissions advanced and specially the fact case of present appellant is at par with co-accused Sunil, who has been extended benefit of suspension of sentence and the fact that present appellant suffered more than 4 years and 2 months of incarceration as pre and post trial confinement as well as the fact that hearing of appeal shall take some time, this court, without expressing any opinion on merits of the case, intends to allow the application for suspension of sentence

(I.A.No.268/2026) but with certain stringent conditions so that present appellant may not be source of embarrassment and harassment to the complainant side and shall be engaged in creative pursuits.

8. If appellant No.2 - Shivkant @ Vachaspati Sharma furnishes bail bond in the sum of Rs.50,000/- (Rupees Fifty Thousand Only) along with one solvent surety of the like amount to the satisfaction of the trial Court that he shall appear before the Principal Registrar of this Court on 29/06/2026 and thereafter, on all other subsequent dates as may be fixed by the Office for appearance, then he shall be released on bail and execution of jail sentence is suspended till disposal of this appeal, subject to deposit of fine amount.

9. It is made clear that this bail by way of suspension of sentence is granted once the case is made out for bail and thereafter, direction for plantation of saplings is given and it is not the case where a person intends to serve social cause, can be given bail without considering the merits.

10. The conditions regarding social service are narrated in Hindi/Vernacular language so that present appellant may understand it and would not have any problem to implement it.

11. ,rn~ }kjk ;g funZsf'kr fd;k tkrk gS fd vkosnd 5 ikS/kksa dk ¼;FkklaHko dksbZ Hkh Qy nsus okys isM+ vFkok uhe@ihiy tSls isM+½ jksi.k djsxk rFkk mls vius vkl iM+ksl esa isM+ksa dh lqj{kk dh O;oLFkk djuh gksxh rkfd ikS/ks lqjf{kr jg ldsA vkosnd dk ;g drZO; gS fd u dsoy ikS/kksa dks yxk;k tk,s] cfYd mUgsa iks"k.k Hkh fn;k tk,A ^^o`{kkjksi.k ds lkFk] o`{kkiks"k.k Hkh vko';d gSA^^ vkosnd laHkor% 6&8 QhV ÅWaps ikS/ks@isM+ksa dks 3&4 QhV xM~<k djds yxk;sxk rkfd os 'kh?kz gh iw.kZ fodflr gks ldsaA vuqikyu

lqfuf'pr djus ds fy,] vkosnd dks fjgk fd;s tkus dh fnukad ls 30 fnuksa ds Hkhrj lacaf/kr fopkj.k U;k;ky; ds le{k o`{kksas@ikS/kksa ds jksi.k ds lHkh QksVks çLrqr djuk gksxsaA rRi'pkr~] fopkj.k ds lekiu rd gj rhu eghus esa vkosnd ds }kjk fopkj.k U;k;ky; ds le{k izxfr fjiksVZ çLrqr dh tk,xh A

12. o`{kksa dh çxfr ij fuxjkuh j[kuk fopkj.k U;k;ky; dk drZO; gS D;ksafd i;kZoj.k {kj.k ds dkj.k ekuo vfLrRo nkao ij gS vkSj U;k;ky; vuqikyu ds ckjs esa vkosnd }kjk fn[kkbZ xbZ fdlh Hkh ykijokgh dks utj vankt ugh dj ldrk gSA blfy, vkosnd dks isM+ksa dh çxfr vkSj vkosndx.k }kjk vuqikyu ds lac/a k esa ,d fjiksVZ çLrqr djus ds fy, funZfs 'kr fd;k tkrk gS ,oa vkonsd }kjk fd;s x;s vuqikyu dh ,d la{kfIr fjiskVZ bl U;k;ky; ds le{k izR;sd rhu ekg esa ¼vxys N% eghuksa ds fy,½ j[kh tk;sxh ftls fd ^^funsZ'k^^ 'kh"kZ ds varxZr j[kk tk,xkA

13. o`{kkjksi.k esa ;k isM+ksa dh ns[kHkky esa vkosndx.k dh vksj ls dh xbZ dksbZ Hkh pwd vkosnd dks tekur dk ykHk ysus ls oafpr dj ldrh gSA

14. vkosnd dks viuh ilan ds LFkku ij bu ikS/kksa@isMksa dks jksius dh Lora=rk gksxh] ;fn og bu jksis x;s isMksa dh Vªh xkMZ ;k ckM+ yxkdj j{kk djuk pkgrk gS] rks og vius Loa; ds O;; ij ;g djus ds fy;s Lora= gksxkA

15. bl U;k;ky; }kjk ;g funsZ'k ,d ijh{k.k izdj.k ds rkSj ij fn, x, gSa rkfd fgalk vkSj cqjkbZ ds fopkj dk izfrdkj] l`tu ,oa izd`fr ds lkFk ,dkdkj gksus ds ek/;e ls lkeaktL; LFkkfir fd;k tk ldsA orZeku esa ekuo vfLrRo ds vko';d vax ds :i esa n;k] lsok] izse ,oaa d:a.kk dh izd`fr dks fodflr djus dh vko';drk gS D;ksafd ;g ekuo thou dh ewyHkwr izo`fr;ka gSa vkSj ekuo vfLrRo dks cuk, j[kus ds fy, budk iquthZfor gksuk vko';d gSA

16. ^^;g iz;kl dsoy ,d o`{k ds jksi.k dk iz'u u gksdj cfYd ,d

fopkj ds vadqj.k dk gSA^^

17. ;g funsZ'k vkosnd ds }kjk Lor% O;Dr dh xbZ lkeqnkf;d lsok dh bPNk ds dkj.k fn;k x;k gS tks LoSfPNd gSA

18. It is expected from present appellant that he shall submit photographs by downloading the mobile application (NISARG App) prepared at the instance of High Court for monitoring the plantation through satellite/Geo-Tagging.

19. I.A. No. 268/2026 stands allowed and disposed of, accordingly.

20. Present appellant shall not be source of embarrassment and harassment to the complainant/victim side in any manner and he shall not move in their vicinity; otherwise, benefit of bail given today by way of suspension of sentence shall be withdrawn immediately.

21. Copy of this order be sent to the trial Court concerned for information and necessary compliance.

22. Certified copy as per rules.

(Anand Pathak) (Anil Verma) Judge Judge