- 1 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:51224 CRL.P No. 15196 of 2025 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 5TH DAY OF DECEMBER, 2025 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S VISHWAJITH SHETTY CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 15196 OF 2025 BETWEEN: SRI. SRIRAM S/O SIDDAGANGAPPA AGED ABOUT 31 YEARS R/AT NO. HEGGANAHALLI, BOVI PALYA GRAMA, JALA HOBLI, DEVANAHALLI TALUK BANGALORE RURAL DISTRICT - 562 110. …PETITIONER (BY SRI. TONY SEBASTIAN, SR. COUNSEL FOR SRI. RENY SEBASTIAN, ADVOCATE) AND: STATE OF KARNATAKA BY CHIKKAJALA POLICE STATION DEVANAHALLI SUB-DIVISION DEVANAHALLI - REPRESENTED BY SPP, HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA HIGH COURT BUAILDING BENGALURU - 560 001. …RESPONDENT (BY SRI. CHANNAPPA ERAPPA, HCGP) THIS CRL.P IS FILED U/S 439 OF CR.P.C (U/S 483 BNSS) PRAYING TO ENLARGE THE PETITIONER ON BAIL IN SC.NO.15043/2025 (CC.NO.1080/2025) ARISING OUT OF Digitally signed by JAI JYOTHI J Location: High Court of Karnataka - 2 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:51224 CRL.P No. 15196 of 2025 CR.NO.259/2024 REGISTERED BY CHIKKAJALA P.S., FOR THE OFFENCES P/U/S 109, 117(3), 118, 61(2), 62, 238 R/W 3(5) OF BNS, 2023, U/S 25(1B)(b) OF ARMS ACT, 1959, PENDING BEOFRE THE V ADDL. DISTRICT AND SESSIONS JUDGE, DEVANAHALLI. THIS PETITION, COMING ON FOR ORDERS, THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER: CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S VISHWAJITH SHETTY ORAL ORDER Accused No.1 in S.C.No.15043/2025 pending before the Court of V Additional District and Sessions Judge, Devanahalli, Bangalore Rural District, arising out of Crime No.259/2024 registered by Chikkajala Police Station for offences punishable under Sections 109, 117(3), 118, 61(2), 62, 238, r/w Section 3(5) of BNS, 2023 and Section 25(1B)(b) of Arms Act, 1959 is before this Court in the successive bail application filed under Section 483 of BNSS, 2023 seeking regular bail. 2. Heard learned counsel for the parties. - 3 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:51224 CRL.P No. 15196 of 2025 3. FIR in Crime No.259/2024 was registered by Chikkajala Police Station, Bangalore for the aforesaid offences against the petitioner herein and others. Based on the first information dated 24.12.2024 received from Smt.Divya W/o. injured victim Manjunath. 4. During the course of investigation of the case, petitioner herein was arrested on 13.01.2025 and remanded to judicial custody. Investigation of the case was completed and charge sheet was filed against 6 persons and petitioner is arrayed as accused No.1 in the charge sheet. His bail application filed before the jurisdictional Sessions Court was rejected and therefore, he had approached this Court in Criminal Petition No.8836/2025, which was dismissed as not pressed on 17.07.2025 with liberty to the petitioner to renew his bail application after sometime. It is under these circumstances, petitioner is before this Court in the successive petition. - 4 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:51224 CRL.P No. 15196 of 2025 5. Learned Senior Counsel appearing for the petitioner submits that allegation of assaulting injured victim with weapons is only as against accused Nos.3 to 5 and 2 other juvenile accused. Accused Nos.1 and 2 were sitting along with the injured and his friend Mohan when the other accused barged into the hotel and assaulted the injured victim. Accused Nos.1 and 2 were not armed. Allegation against accused Nos.1 and 2 is that they had conspired with the other accused to commit the crime. Accused No.2 has been granted regular bail by this Court in Criminal Petition No.3624/2025 disposed of on 12.06.2025. He submits that subsequently accused Nos.4 and 5 are now enlarged on bail by trial Court. In the other criminal cases which were registered against the petitioner he is enlarged on bail. Accordingly, he prays to allow the petition. 6. Per contra, learned High Court Government Pleader has opposed the petitioner and he submits that the petitioner is the master mind in the present case. - 5 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:51224 CRL.P No. 15196 of 2025 Petitioner is having criminal antecedents and he is a rowdy-sheeter and if he is enlarged on bail, he is likely to indulgence in similar criminal activities. Accordingly, he prays to dismiss the petition. 7. Perusal of the material on record would go to show that in the first information which is submitted by the wife of injured victim Manjunath, it is stated that petitioner herein had ill-will against Manjunath for the reason that he was the close acquaintance of Govindaraj, who allegedly had committed murder of Srinivas, elder brother of petitioner herein. On the alleged date of incident, Manjunath had gone out with his friend Mohan. At about 1.15 p.m. the first informant was informed by Mohan that accused persons had assaulted her husband with deadly weapons in Krishnasagar hotel, near Sadhahalli gate within the jurisdiction of Chikkajala Police Station. Thereafter, first informant went to the hospital where her husband was admitted and after enquiring with him about the alleged incident she had approached the - 6 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:51224 CRL.P No. 15196 of 2025 police and submitted the first information. During the course of investigation, petitioner herein who was arrayed as accused No.1 in the FIR was arrested on 13.01.2025. After completing investigation charge sheet has been filed against 7 persons in which 2 are said to be juvenile accused. Petitioner is arrayed as accused No.1 in the charge sheet. His earlier bail application filed before this Court was dismissed as withdrawn on 17.07.2025 with liberty to renew his bail application after sometime. 8. On the alleged date of incident, when the petitioner and accused No.2 were sitting inside the hotel along with Manjunath and his friend Mohan, accused Nos.3 to 5 and two other juvenile accused, who were armed with weapons entered the hotel and assaulted Manjunath with deadly weapon. As per the charge sheet allegations, as a result of assault made by accused No.3 with a chopper, the right hand of Manjunath was amputated. There is no allegation against accused Nos.1 and 2 about they assaulting either Manjunath or his friend Mohan. Allegation - 7 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:51224 CRL.P No. 15196 of 2025 against accused Nos.1 and 2 in the charge sheet is about conspiracy with the other accused persons to commit the crime. 9. Accused No.2 has been granted regular bail by this Court in Criminal Petition No.3624/2025, disposed of on 12.06.2025. Accused No.4 has been granted regular bail by the trial Court in Crl.Misc.No.15237/2025 by order dated 20.11.2025 and accused No.5 has been granted regular bail by the trial Court in Crl.Misc.No.15205/2025 by order dated 03.11.2025. Accused Nos.4 and 5 are the persons who had assaulted injured victim Manjunath along with accused No.3 and 2 other juvenile accused. 10. It is not in dispute that in all the other criminal cases which are registered against the petitioner he has been granted bail. In the present case, the petitioner is in custody from 13.01.2025 onwards. Considering the nature of allegations found in the charge sheet as against the petitioner and also taking into consideration that accused - 8 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:51224 CRL.P No. 15196 of 2025 Nos.2, 4 and 5 in the present case have been already enlarged on bail, I am of the opinion that the prayer made by the petitioner for grant of regular bail needs to be answered affirmatively subject to imposing appropriate conditions: ORDER The petition is allowed. The petitioner is directed to be enlarged on bail in S.C.No.15043/2025 (C.C.No.1080/2025) (Crime No.259/2024 of Chikkajala Police Station), registered for offences under Sections 109, 117(3), 118, 61(2), 62, 238 read with Section 3(5) of BNS, 2023 and Section 25(1B) (b) Arms Act, 1959, pending before the V Additional District and Sessions Judge, Devanahalli, subject to the following conditions: a) The petitioner shall execute personal bond for a sum of Rs.1,00,000/- (Rupees One Lakh only) 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 - 9 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:51224 CRL.P No. 15196 of 2025 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; 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 off; f) The petitioner is directed to appear before the Station House Officer of Chikkajala Police Station on every 1st Sunday of the month between 10.00 a.m. and 1.00 p.m. and mark his attendance till the case registered against him is disposed off. Sd/- (S VISHWAJITH SHETTY) JUDGE rv List No.: 1 Sl No.: 10