- 1 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC-D:11131 CRL.P No. 103277 of 2025 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA, AT DHARWAD DATED THIS THE 1ST DAY OF SEPTEMBER, 2025 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S.VISHWAJITH SHETTY CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 103277 OF 2025 (439(CR.PC)/483(BNSS)) BETWEEN: SUDHIR MEHTA @ A. MOHAMED ASIF S/O S.M. ABU MOHAMMED, AGED ABOUT 58 YEARS, BANNI MANTAPA, KSRTC BLOCK, NO.45, 1ST FLOOR, MYSURU AND ALSO AT HUDCO COLONY, TIPPU MASJID NEAR, MYSURU-570 001. … PETITIONER (BY SRI. I.P. MOSES AND SRI. D. L. LADKHAN, ADVOCATES) AND: THE STATE OF KARNATAKA, BY VIDYANAGAR POLICE STATION, HUBBALLI, REP. BY PUBLIC PROSECUTOR, HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA, DHARWAD BENCH, DHARWAD-580 011. … RESPONDENT (BY SMT. KIRTILATA R. PATIL, HCGP) THIS CRIMINAL PETITION IS FILED UNDER SECTION 439 OF CR.P.C. (483 OF BNSS), PRAYING TO ALLOW THIS PETITION AND ENLARGE THE PETITIONER/ACCUSED NO.1 ON BAIL IN CONNECTION WITH VIDYANAGAR POLICE STATION, HUBBALLI AND ENLARGE THE PETITIONER ON BAIL IN CRIME NO.80/2025 WITH VIDYANAGAR POLICE STATION FOR OFFENCES PUNISHABLE UNDER SECTIONS 178, 179, 180, 316(2), 318(4) OF BNS, IN THE INTEREST OF JUSTICE. THIS PETITION, COMING ON FOR ORDERS THIS DAY, ORDER IS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER: RAKESH S HARIHAR Digitally signed by RAKESH S HARIHAR Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA DHARWAD BENCH - 2 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC-D:11131 CRL.P No. 103277 of 2025 ORAL ORDER (PER: THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S.VISHWAJITH SHETTY) 1. Accused No.1 in Crime No.80/2025 registered by Vidyanagar town Police Station, Hubballi for the offences punishable under Sections 178, 179, 180, 316(2), 318(4) of BNS, is before this Court under Section 483 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS 2023) seeking regular bail. 2. Heard the learned counsel for the parties. 3. FIR in Crime No.80/2025 was registered by Vidyanagar town Police Station, Hubballi, for the aforesaid offences against the petitioner based on the first information dated 09.06.2025 received from Amit Dalvi. During the course of investigation, petitioner was arrested on 09.06.2025, and subsequently remanded to judicial custody. His bail application filed before the Jurisdictional Sessions Court in Criminal Miscellaneous No.5352 of 2025 - 3 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC-D:11131 CRL.P No. 103277 of 2025 was rejected on 01.07.2025. Therefore, he is before this Court. 4. In the first information, it is alleged that accused had assured to invest Rs.50 Crore in the business of first informant employeer Smt. Ashwani and asked her to pay a sum of Rs.60,00,000/- as process fees and accordingly on 05.06.2025 process fee was paid by Ashwani. Accused allegedly had handed over bundle of currency notes to Ashwini as a portion of his assured investment and subsequently, on verification, it was found that the currency notes which were handed over to Ashwini by the petitioner were duplicate notes. 5. It is under these circumstances, first informant had approached the police on 09.06.2025. Investigation of the case is now completed and charge sheet has been filed against the petitioner for the aforesaid offences. Maximum punishment for the alleged offences is imprisonment for a period of 7 years and alleged offences are triable by the - 4 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC-D:11131 CRL.P No. 103277 of 2025 Court of Magistrate. It is not in dispute that petitioner has no other criminal antecedent. 6. Under these circumstances, the prayer made by the petitioner for grant of regular bail is required to be answered in the affirmative. Accordingly the following: ORDER i. Petition is allowed. ii. The petitioner is directed to be enlarged on bail in Crime No.80/2025 registered by Vidyanagar town Police Station, Hubballi for the offences punishable under Sections 178, 179, 180, 316(2), 318(4) of BNS, subject to the following conditions: a. The petitioner shall execute personal bond for a sum of Rs.1,00,000/- with 2 sureties for the likesum to the satisfaction of the jurisdictional Court; - 5 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC-D:11131 CRL.P No. 103277 of 2025 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 VMB CT:BCK LIST NO.: 1 SL NO.: 36