Full Judgment
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IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU
DATED THIS THE 23RD DAY OF JUNE, 2026 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S VISHWAJITH SHETTY CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 5264 OF 2026 BETWEEN: G. SHRIKANTH S/O GOPALA KRISHNA, AGED ABOUT 24 YEARS, R/AT NO.160, GANTIGANAHALLI GRAMA, SINGANAYAKANAHALLI POST, YELAHANKA TALUK, BANGALORE-560064. …PETITIONER (BY SRI. HARISH KUMAR H.C, ADVOCATE) AND: STATE OF KARNATAKA BY DEVANAHALLI P.S. Digitally
signed by REPRESENTED BY SPP NIRMALA HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA DEVI BANGALORE-560001. Location: …RESPONDENT HIGH COURT (BY SRI. VINAY MAHADEVAIAH, HCGP)OF KARNATAKA THIS CRL.P IS FILED U/S 439 CR.PC (FILED U/S 483 BNSS) PRAYING TO ENLARGE HIM ON BAIL IN CRIME NO.57/2025 OF DEVANAHALLI POLICE STATION, BANGALORE RURAL DISTRICT, AT BANGALORE, WHICH IS REGISTERED FOR THE OFFENCE PUNISHABLE UNDER SECTIONS 103, 140, 3(5) OF BHARATHIYA NYAYA SANHITA ACT-2023, WHICH IS PENDING BEFORE THE V ADDITIONAL DISTRICT AND SESSIONS JUDGE, SITTING AT DEVANAHALLI, BANGALORE -2- RURAL DISTRICT, AT BANGALORE, IN SC.NO.15059/2025 AND ETC. THIS PETITION, COMING ON FOR ORDERS, THIS DAY,
ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER:
CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S VISHWAJITH SHETTY
ORAL ORDER
1. Accused No.1 in SC No.15059/2025 pending before the V
Additional District and Sessions Judge, Bengaluru Rural, sitting at Devanahalli arising out of Crime No.57/2025 registered by the Devanahalli Police Station, Bengaluru, for offences punishable under Sections 140, 103 and 238 read with 3(5) of BNS, 2023 is before this Court in this petition filed under Section 483 of BNSS, 2023 seeking regular bail.
2. Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner and the learned HCGP for respondent.
3. FIR in Crime No.57/2025 was registered by the
Devanahalli Police Station, Bengaluru, for the aforesaid offences against the petitioner and others based on the first information received on 03.05.2025 from one Ramachandra H, -3- father of deceased - Preetham. In the said case, the petitioner was arrested on 04.05.2025 and remanded to judicial custody. After completion of investigation, the charge sheet was filed against six persons and the petitioner is arrayed as accused No.1 in the said charge sheet. His bail application filed before the jurisdictional Sessions Court in SC No.15059/2025 was rejected on 27.03.2026. Therefore, he is before this Court.
4. A perusal of the material on record would go to show that
the entire case of the prosecution is based on circumstantial evidence. According to the prosecution, deceased Preetham allegedly had certain private videos and photographs of CW.14, who is the relative of the petitioner. After the relationship between the deceased and CW.14 got strained, deceased Preetham allegedly forwarded the private videos and photographs of CW.14 to others. It is under these circumstances, the petitioner, who is the relative of CW.14 allegedly decided to eliminate Preetham and he had conspired with the other accused named in the charge sheet to commit the murder of Preetham. -4-
5. In furtherance of said conspiracy, accused No.1 to 6
kidnapped Preetham in a car and thereafter, they took him to a playground of a Government School within the jurisdiction of Devanahalli Police Station and committed his murder. Accused No.2 has been granted regular bail by this Court in Crl.P.No.3122/2026 and accused No.3 has been granted regular bail by this court in Crl.P.No.34/2026. Accused No.4 and 5 have been granted regular bail by this Court in Crl.P.No.2018/2026 and accused No.6 has been granted regular bail by this Court in Crl.P.No.569/2026. Undisputedly, the petitioner has no other criminal antecedents. The allegations found in the charge sheet are required to be proved in a full fledged trial.
6. Under the said circumstances, I am of the opinion that
the prayer made by the petitioner for grant of regular bail needs to be answered affirmatively subject to appropriate conditions. Accordingly, the following: The petition is allowed. The petitioner is directed to be enlarged on bail in Crime No.57/2025 of Devanahalli Police Station, Bengaluru, for the offences punishable under Sections -5- 140, 103 and 238 read with 3(5) of BNS, 2023, subject to the following conditions:
a) The petitioner shall execute a personal bond for a sum of Rs.1,00,000/- with two sureties for the likesum, to the satisfaction of the jurisdictional Court; b) The petitioner shall appear regularly on all the dates of hearing before the Trial Court unless the Trial Court exempts their appearance for valid reasons; c) The petitioner shall not directly or indirectly threaten or tamper with the prosecution witnesses; d) The petitioner shall not involve in similar offences in future. e) The petitioner shall not leave the jurisdiction of the Trial Court without permission of the said Court until the case registered against him is disposed of. Sd/- (S VISHWAJITH SHETTY) JUDGE ND List No.: 1 Sl No.: 53