- 1 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:23260 CRL.P No. 8369 of 2025 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 30TH DAY OF JUNE, 2025 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE S VISHWAJITH SHETTY CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 8369 OF 2025 BETWEEN: 1. SRI MANJUNATH V S/O LATE VENKATARAYAPPA AGED ABOUT 58 YEARS RESIDING AT NO.3482/137 3RD MAIN, 3RD CROSS VINAYAKA EXTENSION VIDYARANYAPURA DAVANAGERE - 577 005. 2. SRI SRINIVAS RAO LINGA S/O LINGA NARASAIAH AGED ABOUT 50 YEARS. 3. SMT. USHA RANI W/O LINGA SRINIVASA RAO AGED ABOUT 50 YEARS. BOTH ARE RESIDING AT H NO. 4-715/37/1 RAGHAVENDRA NAGAR NACHARAM, UPPAL, I.E.NACHARAM K.V. RANGAREDDY ANDHRA PRADESH - 500 076. 4. SRI LINGA MALLIKHARJUNA RAO S/O LATE L. VENKATA RAMANA AGED ABOUT 39 YEARS RESIDING AT NO.4-1-216/192/104 SHUBHAM CLASSIC, STREET NO.6 I.E.NACHARAM, K.V.RANGAREDDY Digitally signed by NANDINI M S Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA - 2 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:23260 CRL.P No. 8369 of 2025 KARTHIKEYA NAGAR, NACHARAM, UPPAL TELANGANA - 500 076. …PETITIONERS (BY SRI VEERANNA G. TIGADI, ADV., FOR SRI NARAYANA SWAMY P.M, ADV.) AND: DODDABALLAPURA RURAL P.S DODDABALLAPURA SUB-DIVISION DODDABALLAPURA BANGALORE DISTRICT - 561 202. …RESPONDENT (BY SMT. ASMA KOUSER, HCGP) THIS CRL.P IS FILED U/S 438 CR.PC (FILED U/S 482 BNSS) PRAYING TO GRANT AN ANTICIPATORY BAIL IN THE EVENT OF THEIR ARREST BY THE RESPONDENT ON A COMPLAINT FILED THE COMPLAINANT UNDER CR.NO.171/2025 DATED 30.04.2025 FOR THE ALLEGED O/P/U/S 303,316,317,318,336,337,340(2) OF BNS ACT 2023. 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 Nos.1 to 4 in Crime No.171/2025 registered by Doddaballapura Rural Police Station, Bengaluru District, for the offences punishable under Sections 303, 316, 317, 318, 336, 337, 340(2) and 62 of BNS, 2023, are before this Court under Section 482 of BNSS, 2023, seeking anticipatory bail. 2. Heard the learned counsel for the parties. - 3 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:23260 CRL.P No. 8369 of 2025 3. FIR in Crime No.171/2025 was registered by Doddaballapura Rural Police Station, Bengaluru District, for the aforesaid offences against petitioners herein and another based on the first information dated 30.04.2025 received from Anil Mallappa, authorized signatory of a company known as 'ACSEN Agriscience Pvt. Ltd'. Apprehending arrest in the case, petitioners had filed Crl.Misc.No.10091/2025 before the jurisdictional Sessions Court which was rejected on 12.06.2025. Therefore, they are before this Court. 4. Perusal of the averment found in the first information dated 07.04.2025 submitted by the authorized officer of ACSEN Agriscience Pvt. Ltd. would go to show that accused No.1 was the former employee of the said Company and the complaint against him is that after leaving the aforesaid company, he had joined other accused companies and the knowledge and information gained by him while he was in service in ACSEN Agriscience Pvt. Ltd. has been misused by him and thereby committed the offences of criminal breach of trust, criminal conspiracy etc. The material on record would go to show that accused No.1 has resigned from his post in the aforesaid - 4 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:23260 CRL.P No. 8369 of 2025 company known as ACSEN Agriscience Pvt. Ltd. in the year 2023 itself. First information is now filed in the month of April, 2025. The alleged offences are triable by the Court of Magistrate and the maximum punishment for the alleged offences is imprisonment for a period of seven years. Insofar as the other accused is concerned, there is no allegation against him. Petitioners do not have any criminal antecedents. Considering the aforesaid aspects of the matter, I am of the opinion that the prayer made by the petitioners for grant of anticipatory bail needs to be answered affirmatively. Accordingly, the following order:- 5. The petition is allowed. The respondent - Police or any other police in the State of Karnataka are directed to release the petitioners in the event of their arrest in Crime No.171/2025 registered by Doddaballapura Rural Police Station, Bengaluru District, for the offences punishable under Sections 303, 316, 317, 318, 336, 337, 340(2) and 62 of BNS, 2023, subject to the following conditions: 1. The Petitioners shall appear before the Investigating Officer within 15 days from the date - 5 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:23260 CRL.P No. 8369 of 2025 of receipt of the copy of this order and shall execute a personal bond for a sum of Rs.1,00,000/- each with two sureties for the likesum to the satisfaction of the investigating officer. 2. Petitioners shall regularly appear before the Trial Court without fail unless exempted by the Trial Court for valid reasons. 3. Petitioners shall not tamper with the prosecution witnesses and they shall co-operate with the police for investigation and appear before them whenever called upon. 4. The petitioners shall not involve in similar offences in future. Sd/- (S VISHWAJITH SHETTY) JUDGE DN