The High Court of Madhya Pradesh at Gwalior, presided over by Hon’ble Shri Justice Anil Verma, recently dismissed a criminal appeal filed by Ramkumar Rawat. The appeal sought bail in a case involving serious charges under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, along with murder and Arms Act violations.
Background of the Case
Ramkumar Rawat was arrested on February 10, 2025, in connection with Crime No. 38 of 2025 registered at Police Station Badoni, District Datia. The charges against him include Sections 109(1), 3(5), 125, 238, and 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Section 3(2)(v) of the SC/ST Act, and Sections 25 and 27 of the Arms Act.
The incident dates back to February 2, 2025, when the complainant, Ajay Pal, and his elder brother, Pajan Singh Rawat, attended a birthday dinner in village Bhasdakhurd. An orchestra program was underway, and during the event, co-accused Manohar Rawat, along with Ramkumar Rawat and others, allegedly fired a country-made pistol at Pajan Singh. The attack resulted in Pajan Singh's death on the spot due to abdominal injuries caused by excessive bleeding. Another individual, Ajab Singh, was also injured in the incident.
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Arguments Presented in Court
Ramkumar Rawat’s counsel argued for bail, claiming the appellant’s innocence and highlighting several points:
- The appellant has been in custody since February 10, 2025.
- The charge sheet has been filed, and out of seven prosecution witnesses, three, including the complainant, turned hostile.
- There was an unexplained delay in filing the FIR.
- The medical evidence did not fully support the prosecution’s story.
- The appellant is a permanent resident of Badoni, Datia, with no prior criminal record.
The State’s counsel opposed the bail appeal, emphasizing the gravity of the charges. They noted that a country-made pistol (Katta) and used cartridges were recovered from the appellant’s possession. Additionally, the complainant’s statement under Section 164 of the Cr.P.C. corroborated the prosecution’s case.
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After reviewing the case diary and hearing both sides, Justice Anil Verma declined to grant bail. The court observed:
"The cause of death, as per the postmortem report, was excessive bleeding from abdominal injuries caused by a firearm. The recovery of the weapon and cartridges from the appellant, along with the pending examination of key witnesses, makes this a matter of serious concern."
The court also noted that the appellant’s earlier bail application had been dismissed as withdrawn on July 2, 2025. With only five witnesses examined so far and the trial likely to take considerable time, the court found no grounds to grant bail
Case Title: Ramkumar Rawat vs. The State of Madhya Pradesh & Others
Case No.: CRA-7538-2025
