- 1 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:20254 CRL.P No. 7589 of 2025 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 12TH DAY OF JUNE, 2025 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE S VISHWAJITH SHETTY CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 7589 OF 2025 BETWEEN: HANUMANTHARAYAPPA G V S/O LATE VENKATARAVANAPPA AGED ABOUT 47 YEARS BILL COLLECTOR OF KODLAPURA GRAMA PANCHAYATH MADHUGIRI TALUK TUMAKURU-572175 (THE PETITIONER IS IN JUDICIAL CUSTODY) …PETITIONER (BY SRI. NISHIT KUMAR SHETTY, ADVOCATE) AND: STATE OF KARNATAKA BY POLICE INSPECTOR, LOKAYUKTHA POLICE STATION, TUMAKURU REP. BY SPECIAL STATE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR, HIGH COURT BUILDING BANGALORE-560001 …RESPONDENT (BY SRI. LETHIF B., ADVOCATE) THIS CRL.P IS FILED U/S 439 CR.PC (U/S 483 OF BNSS) PRAYING TO ENLARGE THE PETITIONER ON REGULAR BAIL IN CR.NO.03/2025 OF LOKAYUKTHA POLICE STATION, TUMAKURU FOR THE OFFENCE P/U/S. 7(a) OF PREVENTION OF CORRUPTION ACT, 1988 ( AMENDED ACT 2018), PENDING ON THE FILE OF VII ADDL. DISTRICT AND SESSIONS JUDGE AT TUMAKURU AND ETC. THIS PETITION, COMING ON FOR ORDERS, THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER: Digitally signed by KAVYA G Location: High Court of Karnataka - 2 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:20254 CRL.P No. 7589 of 2025 CORAM: HON'BLE MR JUSTICE S VISHWAJITH SHETTY ORAL ORDER Accused No.2 in Crime No.3/2025 registered by Lokayuktha Police, Tumkur for offence punishable under Section 7A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 pending before the Court of VII Additional District and Sessions Judge, Tumkur is before this Court under Section 483 of BNSS 2023 seeking regular bail. 2. Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner and the learned counsel for the respondent, who has filed the statement of objections. 3. FIR in Crime No.3/2025 was registered by Lokayuktha police, Tumkur against one Sri.Pundalika and the petitioner herein for the aforesaid offence based on the first information dated 09.05.2025 received from Sri.K.H.Anandkumar. In the trap that was held subsequently on 13.05.2025, accused Nos.1 and 2 were allegedly caught - 3 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:20254 CRL.P No. 7589 of 2025 while receiving the bribe amount of Rs.6,000/- from the first informant. The apprehended accused were produced before the Court on 14.05.2025 and remanded to judicial custody. The bail application filed by the petitioner herein before the jurisdictional Court in Crl.Misc.Pet.No.705/2025 was rejected on 27.05.2025. Therefore, he is before this Court. 4. The first informant had approached the Lokayuktha police and submitted a typed complaint on 09.05.2025 alleging that accused persons had demanded a sum of Rs.6,000/- from him for the purpose of issuing e-katha in respect of site bearing No.36 situated in Vaddarahalli Village. Since the complainant did not intend to pay bribe to the accused, he had approached the Lokayuktha police and submitted first information, based on which FIR was registered against Pundaleeka alias Pundappa Bamagonda, who is working as Panchayath Development Officer of Kodlapura Grama Panchayath and against the petitioner who is working as a Bill collector in the said office. In the trap that was held subsequently on 13.05.2025, it is alleged that the accused were apprehended while receiving the bribe amount from the complainant. According to the learned counsel - 4 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:20254 CRL.P No. 7589 of 2025 for the petitioner, the amount of Rs.6,500/- was collected by accused No.1 and out of the same, a sum of Rs.500/- was handed over to the petitioner herein. The bribe amount which was recovered from accused Nos.1 and 2 is already subjected to panchanama and major portion of the investigation has been completed. Accused No.1 is said to be in custody. The petitioner has no other criminal antecedents. Since he is a Government Servant, there cannot be any apprehension that he may flee away from justice. The maximum punishment for the alleged offence is imprisonment for a period of seven years. 5. Under these circumstances, I am of the opinion that the prayer made by the petitioner for grant of bail needs to be answered affirmatively. Accordingly, the following order:- 6. The criminal petition is allowed. The petitioner is directed to be enlarged on bail in Crime No.3/2025 of Tumkur Police Station, Tumkur, registered for the offences punishable under Section 7A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, subject to the following conditions: - 5 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:20254 CRL.P No. 7589 of 2025 a) Petitioner shall execute 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 his 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. Sd/- (S VISHWAJITH SHETTY) JUDGE KG List No.: 2 Sl No.: 16