- 1 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:39622 CRL.P No. 13353 of 2025 C/W CRL.P No. 13356 of 2025 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 8TH DAY OF OCTOBER, 2025 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SHIVASHANKAR AMARANNAVAR CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 13353 OF 2025 C/W CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 13356 OF 2025 IN CRL.P No. 13353/2025 BETWEEN: SRI ANIL KUMAR K V @ ANIL S/O LATE VIJAYENDRA AGED ABOUT 28 YEARS R/O OF MOODALAKERI BEEDI KENNALU VILLAGE, KASABA HOBLI PANDAVAPURA TALUK MANDYA DISTRICT - 571 435. …PETITIONER (BY SRI. SRINIVASA N.C.,ADVOCATE) AND: STATE OF KARNATAKA REP BY PANDAVAPURA POLICE STATION MANDYA DISTRICT - 571 434 REP BY SPP, HIGH COURT, BANGALURU - 560 001. …RESPONDENT (BY SMT. PUSHPALATHA B, ADDITIONAL SPP) THIS CRIMINAL PETITION IS FILED UNDER SECTION 439 OF CODE OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE (FILED UNDER SECTION Digitally signed by LAKSHMINARAYANA MURTHY RAJASHRI Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA - 2 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:39622 CRL.P No. 13353 of 2025 C/W CRL.P No. 13356 of 2025 483 OF BHARATIYA NAGRIKA SURAKSHA SANHITA) PRAYING TO ENLARGE HIM ON BAIL IN CRIME NO.208/2025 PENDING ON THE FILE OF CIVIL JUDGE (JUNIOR DIVISION) AND JMFC AT PANDAVAPURA, MANDYA DISTRICT OF PANDAVAPURA POLICE STATION FOR THE OFFENCES ALLEGED UNDER SECTIONS 78(2), 85, 115(2), 351(2), 80(2) READ WITH 3(5) AND SECTION 3 AND 4 OF DOWRY PROHIBITION ACT, 1961 WITH SUITABLE CONDITIONS ANDCONSEQUENTLY TO ALLOW THIS PETITIONER AS PRAYED FOR. IN CRL.P NO. 13356/2025 BETWEEN: SMT SHANTHAMMA T.C W/O LATE VIJENDRA AGED ABOUT 52 YEARS, NO.390, KENNALU, KASABA HOBLI PANDAVAPURA, MANDYA DISTRICT - 571 435. AS PER AADHAR CARD ...PETITIONER (BY SRI. SRINIVASA N.C.,ADVOCATE) AND: STATE OF KARNATAKA REP BY PANDAVAPURA POLICE STATION MANDYA DISTRICT - 571 434 REP. BY LEARNED HIGH COURT GOVERNMENT PLEADER, HIGH COURT, BENGALURU - 560 001. ...RESPONDENT (BY SMT. PUSHPALATHA, ADDITIONAL SPP) - 3 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:39622 CRL.P No. 13353 of 2025 C/W CRL.P No. 13356 of 2025 THIS CRIMINAL PETITION IS FILED UNDER SECTION 438 CR.P.C (UNDER SECTION 482 BHARATIYA NAGRIKA SURAKSHA SANHITA) PRAYING TO GRANT HER ANTICIPATORY BAIL IN THE EVENT OF HER ARREST IN CRIME NO.208/2025 REGISTERED BY PANDAVAPURA POLICE STATION FOR THE OFFENCES PUNISHABLE UNDER SECTIONS 78(2), 85, 115(2), 351(2), 80(2) READ WITH 3(5) OF BHARATIYA NYAYA SANHITA, UNDER SECTION 3 AND 4 OF DOWRY PROHIBITION ACT, 1961, PENDING ON THE CIVIL JUDGE (JUNIOR DIVISION) AND JMFC, PANDAVAPURA, MANDYA. THESE PETITIONS COMING ON FOR ORDERS THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER: CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SHIVASHANKAR AMARANNAVAR ORAL ORDER Criminal Petition No.13353/2025 is filed by accused No.2 under Section 483 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhitha, 2023 seeking grant of regular bail and Criminal Petition No.13356/2025 is filed by accused No.3 under Section 482 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhitha, 2023 seeking grant of anticipatory bail in respect of Crime No.208/2025 of Pandavapura Police Station registered for - 4 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:39622 CRL.P No. 13353 of 2025 C/W CRL.P No. 13356 of 2025 offence punishable under Sections 78(2), 85, 115(2), 351(2) and 80(2) read with 3(5) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhitha, 2023 and Sections 3 and 4 of Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961. 2. Heard the learned counsel for petitioners and learned Additional Special Public Prosecutor for respondent - State. 3. Learned counsel for the petitioners would contend that, the marriage of the deceased - Smt. Pooja with accused No.1 - Sri.Abhinandan was a love marriage and the parents of the deceased - Smt. Pooja were unhappy and earlier they had filed a missing complaint. The police registered a missing compliant and recorded the statement of Smt. Pooja where she has specifically stated that, her marriage with accused No.1 - Sri. Abhinandan is a love marriage and both loved each other and they married on 21.05.2025 and she is happy with accused No.1 - Sri. Abhinandan. He further submitted that, earlier on 10.07.2025, deceased - Smt. Pooja attempted to commit - 5 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:39622 CRL.P No. 13353 of 2025 C/W CRL.P No. 13356 of 2025 suicide and she was admitted to the hospital wherein, in the history it is recorded that, she has attempted suicide due to scolding by her parents. 4. He further submitted that, as the parents of deceased Smt. Pooja were unhappy with her love marriage with accused No.1, deceased Smt. Pooja has committed suicide. The petitioner - accused No.2 is aged about 28 years, bachelor and he is a younger brother of accused No.1 - Sri. Abhinandan and he is in judicial custody since 26.07.2025 and therefore, he is not required for any custodial interrogation. He also submitted that, the allegations against accused No.3 - mother-in-law is that she instigated accused No.1 to assault the deceased - Smt. Pooja. Accused No.3 is aged about 52 years and she is a mother of accused No.1 and mother-in-law of deceased Smt. Pooja and she is suffering from age old ailments. On these grounds, he prayed to allow the petitions. - 6 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:39622 CRL.P No. 13353 of 2025 C/W CRL.P No. 13356 of 2025 5. Per contra, learned Additional Special Public Prosecutor would contend that, deceased Smt. Pooja was M.Sc., post graduate and she was working in a private Bank. After her marriage, the accused persons insisted her to quit the job and subjected her to harassment and assaulted her demanding dowry and hence, she has committed suicide. Deceased Smt. Pooja told the harassment given by the accused persons before co- brother of the complainant in his house in the presence of his father and the same is mentioned in the complaint. The investigation is under progress and the offences alleged are heinous offences. With these grounds, she prayed for rejection of the petitions. 6. Having heard the learned counsels appearing for the parties, this Court has perused the complaint, FIR and other materials placed on record. 7. The first informant is father of deceased Smt. Pooja and she was missing from her house from 21.05.2025. The father of deceased Smt. Pooja gave a - 7 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:39622 CRL.P No. 13353 of 2025 C/W CRL.P No. 13356 of 2025 missing complaint on 31.05.2025 in Srirangapatna Rural Police Station. In the said missing complaint, the statement of deceased Smt. Pooja has been recorded wherein she has stated that, her marriage with accused No.1 - Sri. Abhinandan is a love marriage and both loved each other and they married on 21.05.2025 at temple in the presence of accused No.2 - Sri. Anil and she was happy with her husband Sri. Abhinandan. Deceased Smt. Pooja studied M.Sc., and she was working in a private Bank. On perusal of the missing complaint filed by the father of deceased Smt. Pooja and the First Information Report, it appears that the parents of deceased Smt. Pooja are unhappy with her marriage with accused No.1 - Sri. Abhinandan. The deceased Smt. Pooja was earlier had attempted to commit suicide by consuming pills and she was admitted to hospital on 10.07.2025 and she has been discharged on 12.07.2025. In discharge summary of the hospital, it is mentioned that, she consumed pills as being scolded by her parents. The said attempt by the deceased - 8 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:39622 CRL.P No. 13353 of 2025 C/W CRL.P No. 13356 of 2025 was 15 days prior to the present incident which took place on 25.07.2025. 8. Considering the same, it appears that the parents of deceased Smt. Pooja have scolded her as she married with accused No.1 - Sri. Abhinandan against their will and wish and it was a love marriage. 9. The allegations against accused No.2 is that, he is a younger brother of husband of deceased Smt. Pooja and he along with other accused has scolded the deceased Smt. Pooja for silly reasons. The accusation against accused No.3 i.e., mother-in-law is that, she along with other accused abused the deceased Smt. Pooja and mentally harassed her and demanded her to bring dowry and at her instigation, accused No.1 assaulted the deceased. 10. As the accused No.2 is in judicial custody since 26.07.2025 he is not required for any custodial interrogation. Accused No.3 is a woman who undertakes to - 9 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:39622 CRL.P No. 13353 of 2025 C/W CRL.P No. 13356 of 2025 co-operate with the police in investigation. Considering all these above aspects, accused No.2 has made out a case for grant of bail and accused No.3 has made out a case for grant of anticipatory bail with conditions. In the result, I pass the following: ORDER These Criminal Petitions are allowed. Accused No.2 is granted bail and accused No.3 is granted anticipatory bail in Crime No.208/2025 of Pandavapura Police Station, subject to following conditions: i) The accused No.2 shall execute a personal bond for a sum of Rs.1,00,000/- (Rupees One Lakh only) with one surety for the likesum to the satisfaction of the Jurisdictional Court. ii) The accused No.3 shall execute a personal bond for a sum of Rs.1,00,000/- (Rupees One Lakh only) with one surety for the likesum to the satisfaction of the Investigating Officer and she has to appear - 10 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:39622 CRL.P No. 13353 of 2025 C/W CRL.P No. 13356 of 2025 before the Investigating Officer within 15 days from this day and execute bail bond and furnish surety. iii) Accused Nos.2 and 3 shall not tamper the prosecuting witnesses and co-operate with the Investigating Officer in the investigation. Sd/- (SHIVASHANKAR AMARANNAVAR) JUDGE KLV List No.: 1 Sl No.: 36