- 1 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:52543 CRL.P No. 15294 of 2025 C/W CRL.P No. 15368 of 2025 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 11TH DAY OF DECEMBER, 2025 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SHIVASHANKAR AMARANNAVAR CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 15294 OF 2025 [(438(Cr.PC) / 482(BNSS)] C/W CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 15368 OF 2025 IN CRL.P No. 15294/2025 BETWEEN: 1. MR. MARVIN B. CRASTO S/O MR. MALVIN M.CRASTO, AGED 43 YEARS, JAIDEV, I MAIN CROSS, ESHWAR NAGR, SARALABETTU, MANIPAL, UDUPI - 576 104. 2. MUBEEN MOHAMMED S/O MR. SHAVAL HAMEED, AGED 30 YEARS, NO1-147, MAVINAKATTE, KARKUNJE POST, KUNDAPUR TALUK, UDUPI - 576 283. 3. SUGAM SHETTY S/O MR. SUDHIR SHETTY, AGED 26 YEARS, NO.1667/4, GANESH NAGAR, KUMBASHI, KUNDAPUR, UDUPI DISTRICT - 576 257. …PETITIONERS (BY SRI. NAVEEN AHMED, ADVOCATE FOR SRI. NOORMOHAMMED, ADVOCATE) Digitally signed by LAKSHMINARAYANA MURTHY RAJASHRI Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA - 2 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:52543 CRL.P No. 15294 of 2025 C/W CRL.P No. 15368 of 2025 AND: 1. THE STATE OF KARNATAKA BY BY CENTRAL CEN CRIME POLICE STATION, BENGALURU, BY SPP, HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA, BENGALURU - 560 001. …RESPONDENT (BY SMT. RASHMI PATEL, HCGP) THIS CRL.P IS FILED UNDER SECTION 438 CR.PC (FILED UNDER SECTION 482 BNSS) PRAYING TO GRANT AN ORDER OF ANTICIPATORY BAIL THEREBY DIRECTING THE RESPONDENT TO ENLARGE THE PETITIONERS ON BAIL IN EVENT OF AN ARREST BY CENTRAL CEN CRIME POLICE STATION, BENGALURU, IN CRIME NO.189/2025 IN THE COURT OF XLV ADDITIONAL CHIEF METROPOLITAN MAGISTRATE COURT, NRUPATUNGA ROAD, BENGALURU, FOR THE OFFENCES PUNISHABLE UNDER SECTIONS 66D AND 66C OF IT ACT AND UNDER SECTIONS 318(2) AND 318(4) OF BNS, 2023. IN CRL.P NO. 15368/2025 BETWEEN: 1. MR. SATWIK HEGDE S/O MR. SUBHASH HEGDE, AGED 26 YEARS, RESIDING AT NO. 3-273, CHANDRA, KOYAKADI, MOLAHALLI, KUNDAPUR TALUK, UDUPI DISTRICT - 576 222. ...PETITIONER (BY SRI. NAVEEN AHMED, ADVOCATE FOR SRI. NOORMOHAMMED, ADVOCATE) - 3 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:52543 CRL.P No. 15294 of 2025 C/W CRL.P No. 15368 of 2025 AND: 1. THE STATE OF KARNATAKA BY CENTRAL CEN CRIME POLICE STATION, BENGALURU. REP. BY STATE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR, HIGH COURT BUILDING, BENGLAURU - 560 001. ...RESPONDENT (BY SMT. RASHMI PATEL, HCGP) THIS CRL.P IS FILED UNDER SECTION 438 CR.P.C (UNDER SECTION 482 BNSS) PRAYING TO GRANT AN ORDER OF ANTICIPATORY BAIL THEREBY DIRECTING THE RESPONDENT TO ENLARGE THE PETITIONER ON BAIL IN THE EVENT OF AN ARREST ARISING OUT OF CRIME NO.189/2025 BY CENTRAL CEN CRIME POLICE STATION, BENGALURU, FOR THE OFFENCES PUNISHABLE UNDER SECTIONS 66(D) AND 66(C) OF I.T ACT AND UNDER SECTIONS 318(2) AND 318(4) OF BNS, 2023, PENDING BEFORE THE LXIX ADDITIONAL CITY CIVIL AND SESSIONS JUDGE, AT BENGALURU CITY. 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.15294/2025 is filed by three petitioners and Criminal Petition No.15368/2025 is filed by - 4 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:52543 CRL.P No. 15294 of 2025 C/W CRL.P No. 15368 of 2025 one petitioner. Both the petitions are filed under Section 482 of Bharatiya Nagrika Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 praying to grant anticipatory bail in Crime No.189/2025 of Central CEN Crime Police Station registered for offences punishable under Sections 66D and 66C of Information Technology Act and under Sections 318(2) and 318(4) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. 2. Heard learned counsel for petitioners and learned High Court Government Pleader for respondent - State. 3. Learned counsel for petitioners would contend that, the allegation of forging document and cheating the complainant is against accused No.1 and accused No.1 who has been arrested has been granted bail. The petitioners are employees of the complainant company and except receiving salary, they have not received any amount. They are not party to any forgery and cheating. The petitioners have received notice from the investigating - 5 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:52543 CRL.P No. 15294 of 2025 C/W CRL.P No. 15368 of 2025 officer and they apprehend their arrest. The offences alleged are not punishable either with death or imprisonment for life. The petitioners are not having any criminal antecedents. With these, he prayed to allow the petitions. 4. Per contra, learned High Court Government Pleader for respondent would contend that, the petitioners are required for custodial interrogation as they are part of the forgery and cheating. They received salaries of a fake company as employees at the instance of accused No.1. With these, she prayed for dismissal of the petitions. 5. Having heard the learned counsels appearing for the parties, the Court has perused the FIR, complaint and other materials placed on record. 6. One Miss. Awani Sahajpal, Senior Legal Counsel of Deel Inc., lodged a complaint alleging that, accused persons in collision with others committed the acts of cheating, forgery and impersonation by falsely - 6 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:52543 CRL.P No. 15294 of 2025 C/W CRL.P No. 15368 of 2025 representing themselves as employees of Jindal Steel and Power Limited and thereby induced Deel Inc. to transfer large sums of money in foreign currencies as purported salaries and commissions of fake employees' accounts. The loss quantified is to the tune of Rs.15.92 Crores. Based on the said complaint, a case came to be registered in Crime No.189/2025 for the aforesaid offences. The petitioners who have received the notice from the investigating officer and they apprehend their arrest. The petitioners submit that, they are innocent and not committed any offence as alleged. The petitioners are employees of the company and they have received their salaries. Accused No.1 who is the main person in forgery, cheating etc. has been granted regular bail. The other employees are also granted anticipatory bail. Even the wife of accused No.1 has also been granted anticipatory bail. The petitioners have undertaken to co-operate with the investigating officer in the investigation and abide by any conditions imposed by this Court. The offences alleged - 7 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:52543 CRL.P No. 15294 of 2025 C/W CRL.P No. 15368 of 2025 against the petitioners are not punishable either with death or imprisonment for life. 7. Considering all the above aspects, the petitioners have made out a case for grant of anticipatory bail with conditions. In the result, the following; ORDER Both Criminal Petitions are allowed. The petitioners are granted anticipatory bail in Crime No.189/2025 of Central CEN Crime Police Station and are ordered to be released on bail in the event their arrest, subject to following conditions: i) The petitioners shall execute a personal bond for a sum of Rs.1,00,000/- (Rupees One Lakh only) each with one surety for the like-sum to the satisfaction of the Investigating Officer. ii) The petitioners shall voluntarily appear before the Investigating Officer within 10 days from this day and execute bail bond and furnish surety. - 8 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:52543 CRL.P No. 15294 of 2025 C/W CRL.P No. 15368 of 2025 iii) The petitioners shall cooperate with the Investigating Officer in investigation. iv) The petitioners shall appear before the Investigating Officer whenever called for. v) The petitioners shall not directly or indirectly make any inducement, threat or promise to any person acquainted with the facts of the case, so as to dissuade them from disclosing such facts to the Court or to any Police Officer of tamper with the evidence. vi) The petitioners shall appear before the Investigating Officer on first and third Sunday of every month, for a period of two months or till the filing of the final report, whichever is earlier. Sd/- (SHIVASHANKAR AMARANNAVAR) JUDGE KLV List No.: 1 Sl No.: 13