APHC010490432026 IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH AT AMARAVATI (Special Original Jurisdiction) [3521] THURSDAY, THE 24th DAY OF SEPTEMBER 2026 PRESENT THE HONOURABLE DR JUSTICE Y. LAKSHMANA RAO CRIMINAL PETITION NO: 8253/2026 Between: 1. BALA SARASWATHAMMA, W/O. LATE BALA KRISHNAMURTHY,AGED 70 YEARS, R/O. D.NO 15-187- D,KAMMAGADDA STREET, MADANAPALLE,ANNAMAIAH DISTRICT. ...PETITIONER/ACCUSED AND 1. THE STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH, rep by its Public Prosecutor,High Court of Andhra Pradesh at Amaravati. ...RESPONDENT/COMPLAINANT Counsel for the Petitioner/accused: 1. D PURNACHANDRA REDDY Counsel for the Respondent/complainant: 1. PUBLIC PROSECUTOR The Court made the following: ORDER: The Criminal Petition has been filed under Section 482 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (for brevity ‘the BNSS’) by the petitioner/Accused No.1 for granting of pre-arrest bail in connection with Crime No.127 of 2026 ofMadanapalle I Town Urban Police Station, Annamayya District, registered for the alleged offence punishable under Sections 217, 2 336(2), 308(5), 308(6), 308(7), 351(2) read with 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (for brevity ‘the BNS’). 2. Mr.D.Purna Chandra Reddy, the learned counsel for the petitioner, submits that the petitioner is innocent of the alleged offence and she has been falsely implicated by the police. It is further submitted that there is no element of truth in any of the allegations contained in the report and that all of them were made with a view to implicate the petitioner in a false criminal case. Therefore, herincarceration would cause undue hardship to herdependents. The petitioner undertakes to strictly adhere to any conditions that may be imposed by this Court. In light of the foregoing submissions, learned counsel prays that the present petition be allowed in the interest of justice. 3. Per contra, Mr.A.Sai Rohit, the learned Assistant Public Prosecutor, vehemently opposed the grant of pre-arrest bail to the petitioner, submitting that the investigation is still underway and several material witnesses remain to be examined. It is contended that if the petitioner is released on pre-arrest bail, there is a strong likelihood that she may abscond, thereby hampering the ongoing investigation and evading the process of law. Hence, it is urged that the petition be dismissed. 4. Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner and the learned Assistant Public Prosecutor. 5. As seen from the record, the de facto complainant is the Sub-Registrar. He lodged a complaint against the petitioner and some other persons. The grievance of the de facto complainant is that the petitioner and other 3 accusedthreatened him with dire consequences and damaged the reputation of the de facto complainant in several ways, including by lodging false complaints against him to his superior officers,thereby subjecting him to severe mental agony, which prompted him to contemplate suicide. The petitioner is aged about 70 years. She is a female. She was taken by the other accused for registration of certain documents. Later, the de facto complainant noticed that those documents cannot be registered. The petitioner is a permanent resident of Annamaiah District. She has got fixed abode. 6. Having regard to the entire facts and circumstances of the case, the gravity and nature of the allegations levelled against the petitioner/Accused No.1, this Court deems it fit to grant pre-arrest bail to the petitioner/Accused No.1with conditions. 7. In the result, the Criminal Petition is allowed with the following conditions: i. In the event of her arrest, the petitioner/Accused No.1shall be enlarged on bail subject to her executing a bond for a sum of Rs.10,000/- (Rupees Ten Thousand only) with two suretiesfor the like sum each to the satisfaction of the arresting police officials; ii. The petitioner/Accused No.1shall make herself available for investigation as and when required; 4 iii. The petitioner/Accused No.1shall not cause any threat, inducement or promise to the prosecution witnesses iv. The petitioner/Accused No.1shall appear before the Station House Officer concerned once in a week i.e., on every Saturday between 10.00 a.m. and 5.00 p.m., till filing of the charge sheet. v. The petitioner/Accused No.1shall not leave the limits of the State of Andhra Pradesh without the express permission from the Station House Officer concerned. vi. The petitioner/Accused No.1shall not, directly or indirectly, make any inducement, threat or promise to any person acquainted with the facts of the case so as to dissuade him/her from disclosing such facts to the Court. vii. The Petitioner/Accused No.1 shall surrender her passport, if any, to the Investigating Officer. If she claims that she does not have passport, she shall submit an affidavit to that effect to the Investigating Officer. _________________________ DR. Y. LAKSHMANA RAO, J Date: 24.09.2026 BMS