Case Details

  • Case Name: Group Captain (Retd) Chandra Shekhar Rawar vs State of Maharashtra (Criminal Appeal No. /2026 SLP [CRL.] No.8036/2026 & SLP(Crl) No.8263/2026)
  • Court: Supreme Court of India, Criminal Appellate Jurisdiction
  • Order Date: 26 May 2026
  • FIR No.: 228/2026 dated 01 March 2026, Police Station Kalmeshwar, District Nagpur Gramin
  • Charged Sections: 105, 125(a), 125(b), 288 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023
  • Period of alleged violation: Not specified; FIR filed 01‑03‑2026

Parties Involved

  • Appellant 1: Group Captain (Retd) Chandra Shekhar Rawar, Vice President (Administration and Human Resources) of SBL Energy Limited, joined the company eight months before the incident, ex‑service personnel.
  • Appellant 2: Director (Finance) of SBL Energy Limited (name not disclosed).
  • Respondent: State of Maharashtra.
  • Counsel for Petitioners: Senior Advocates Mahesh Jethmalani, Ravi Sharma (AOR), Anjani Kumar Rai, Praphull Kumar, Faizan Shoukat Ali, Madhulika Rai Sharma, Siddharth Agarwal, Pallav Mongia, etc.
  • Counsel for Respondents: Ms. Kashish Lalwani, Ms. Ishika Nayak, Mr. Vinay Nagdev, Mr. Siddharth Dharmadhikari, Mr. Aaditya Aniruddha Pande (AOR), Mr. Shrirang B. Varma, etc.
  • Bench: Hon’ble Mr. Justice M.M. Sundresh and Hon’ble Mr. Justice Nongmeikapam Kotiswar Singh.

Issues / Allegations / Violations

  • The appellants are alleged to have committed offences punishable under Sections 105, 125(a), 125(b) and 288 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, relating to negligence that resulted in loss of several lives.
  • The FIR was registered on 01‑03‑2026 at Kalmeshwar Police Station, Nagpur Gramin.

Findings & Observations

  • The Court observed that the investigation into the appellants is complete.
  • It noted that continued incarceration may not be required given the nature of the charges and the circumstances.
  • The Court expressed that several lives were lost due to negligence but considered bail appropriate under the circumstances.

Penalties / Settlements / Directions

  • The Supreme Court set aside the impugned orders and granted bail to both appellants.
  • Bail is to be granted on terms and conditions satisfactory to the concerned Trial Court.
  • No monetary penalty or other sanction was imposed in this order.

Corrective Actions & Future Obligations

  • The appellants must comply with the bail conditions as prescribed by the Trial Court.
  • Any pending applications related to the matter are to be disposed of by the Court.

Final Ruling & Enforcement

  • The appeals (SLP No.8036/2026 and SLP No.8263/2026) are allowed.
  • Bail is granted to the appellants subject to trial‑court terms.
  • The order is signed by Justices M.M. Sundresh and Nongmeikapam Kotiswar Singh and placed on file by Deputy Registrar (Asha Sundriyal) and Assistant Registrar (Poonam Vaid) on 26‑May‑2026.