- 1 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:12355 CRL.P No. 8784 of 2025 C/W CRL.P No. 26 of 2026 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 27TH DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2026 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S VISHWAJITH SHETTY CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 8784 OF 2025 C/W CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 26 OF 2026 IN CRL.P No. 8784/2025 BETWEEN: 1. MUNIRAJU @ MUNNA, S/O MUNISHAMI, AGED ABOUT 22 YEARS, R/AT SHIGEPALYA VILLAGE, DODDABELAVANGALA HOBLI, DODDABALLAPUR TALUK, BENGALURU DISTRICT - 561 204. (PETITIONER/ACCUSED NO. 4 IS IN JUDICIAL CUSTODY) …PETITIONER (BY SRI.TIGADI VEERANNA GADIGEPPA, ADVOCATE FOR SRI.RAMESHA H N.,ADVOCATE) AND: 1. STATE OF KARNATAKA, BY DODDABELAVANGALA P.S., REPRESENTED BY STATE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR, HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA, BENGALURU - 560 001. Digitally signed by NANDINI M S Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA - 2 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:12355 CRL.P No. 8784 of 2025 C/W CRL.P No. 26 of 2026 …RESPONDENT (BY SRI.CHANNAPPA ERAPPA, ADVOCATE) THIS CRL.P IS FILED U/S.439 (FILED U/S.483 BNSS) CR.P.C BY THE ADVOCATE FOR THE PETITIONER PRAYING THAT THIS HONOURABLE COURT MAY BE PLEASED TO ENLARGE THE PETITIONER/ACCUSED NO.2 ON BAIL IN CRIME NO.24/2023 REGISTERED BY THE DODDABELAVANGALA POLICE FOR THE ALLEGED OFFENCE P/US/ 143, 147, 148, 114, 302, 201, 506, 149 OF IPC PENDING ON THE FILE OF THE HONBLE IV ADDL. DISTRICT AND SESSIONS JUDGE, BENGALURU RURAL DISTRICT AT DODDABALLAPURA IN S.C.NO.10011/2023. IN CRL.P NO. 26/2026 BETWEEN: 1. ANIL KUMAR, S/O LATE ADIVISHWAPPA, AGED ABOUT 28 YEARS, R/AT DODDABALLAPURA, HULIKUNTE TALUK, BENGALURU RURAL KARNATAKA - 561 204. ...PETITIONER (BY SRI. TIGADI VEERANNA GADIGEPPA, ADVOCATE) AND: 1. STATE OF KARNATAKA, BY DODDABELAVANGALA P.S., REPRESENTED BY STATE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR, HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA, BENGALURU - 560 001. ...RESPONDENT (BY SRI.CHANNAPPA ERAPPA, ADVOCATE) - 3 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:12355 CRL.P No. 8784 of 2025 C/W CRL.P No. 26 of 2026 THIS CRL.P IS FILED U/S.439 (FILED U/S.483 BNSS) CR.P.C BY THE ADVOCATE FOR THE PETITIONER PRAYING THAT THIS HONOURABLE COURT MAY BE PLEASED TO ENLARGE THE PETITIONER/ACCUSED NO.2 ON BAIL IN CRIME NO.24/2023 REGISTERED BY THE DODDABELAVANGALA POLICE FOR THE ALLEGED OFFENCE P/US/ 143, 147, 148, 114, 302, 201, 506, 149 OF IPC PENDING ON THE FILE OF THE HONBLE IV ADDL DISTRICT AND SESSIONS JUDGE, BENGALURU RURAL DISTRICT AT DODDABALLAPURA IN S.C.NO.10011/2023.THE IV ADDL DISTRICT AND SESSIONS JUDGE, BENGALURU RURAL DISTRICT AT DODDABALLAPURA HAS REJECTED THE BAIL PETITION ON 26.10.2023 IN S.C.NO.10011/2023. THESE PETITIONS, COMING ON FOR ORDERS, THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER: CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S VISHWAJITH SHETTY ORAL ORDER Accused Nos.2 and 4 in S.C.No.10011/2023 pending before the Court of IV Additional District and Sessions Judge, Bengaluru Rural District, sitting at Doddaballapura, arising out of Crime No.24/2023 registered by Doddabelavangala Police Station, Bangalore Rural District, for offences punishable under Section 143, 147, 148, 114, 302, 201, 506, 149 of IPC are before the in these two successive bail applications filed under Section 483 of - 4 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:12355 CRL.P No. 8784 of 2025 C/W CRL.P No. 26 of 2026 BNSS, 2023 read with Section 439 of Cr.PC seeking regular bail. 2. Heard the Learned counsel for the parties. 3. FIR in Crime No.24/2023 was registered by the Doddabelavangala Police Station, Bangalore Rural District, initially for offences punishable under Section 143, 147, 148, 149 and 302 of IPC, based on the first information dated 17.02.2023 received from Shivaprakash. FIR was registered against five named persons and others. 4. During the course of investigation, petitioners herein were arrested on 24.02.2023 and after completing investigation, charge sheet was filed in the present case against 14 persons. Petitioners herein are arrayed as accused No.2 and 4 in the charge sheet. Their bail application filed before the Sessions Court was rejected and therefore, they had earlier approached the Court in Crl.P.No.11707/2023 and Crl.P.No.6625/2024. The said petitions were dismissed as not pressed with liberty to the - 5 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:12355 CRL.P No. 8784 of 2025 C/W CRL.P No. 26 of 2026 petitioners to file a fresh petition after examination of the eye-witnesses is completed before the Trial Court. It is under these circumstances, petitioners are before this Court in these successive application. 5. The Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that except the petitioners herein, all the other accused have been granted bail in the present case. He submits that all the alleged eye-witnesses have been now examined before the Trial Court as PW.1 to PW.9 and none of the eye-witnesses, including the parents of deceased Bharath and Prathik, have supported the case of the prosecution. Petitioners are in custody for the last more than three years. Accordingly, he prays to allow the petition. 6. Per contra, learned HCGP who has opposed the petition however does not dispute the submission made by learned counsel for the petitioner. He brings to the notice of this Court that accused No.4 is involved in another case - 6 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:12355 CRL.P No. 8784 of 2025 C/W CRL.P No. 26 of 2026 registered for offence punishable under Section 302 of IPC. At this juncture, learned counsel for the petitioner submits that in the said case, accused No.4 has been already acquitted and the judgment and order of acquittal as attained finality. 7. As per the charge sheet allegations on 17.02.2023 when a cricket tournament was under progress in the Karnataka Public School ground, accused No.1 Vinay parked his car inside the ground which was objected by the persons who had organised the cricket tournament. Thereafter, there was a quarrel between Vinay and the persons who had organised the cricket tournament and it is alleged that Vinay who left the ground in his car, subsequently returned with his friends armed with deadly weapons and after abusing the persons who had organised the cricket tournament and also the players, had assaulted them with deadly weapons. In the said incident, Bharath and Prathik, who had suffered grievous injuries, had succumbed to the same. It is under - 7 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:12355 CRL.P No. 8784 of 2025 C/W CRL.P No. 26 of 2026 these circumstances, FIR was registered against accused No.1 and others in Crime No.24/2023. After completing investigation, charge sheet was filed against 14 persons. Petitioners herein were arraigned as accused Nos.2 and 4 in the charge sheet and they had allegedly assaulted the deceased with deadly weapons and had caused grievous injuries on them. 8. The prosecution has now examined nine charge sheet witnesses before the Trial Court as PW.1 to PW.9. PW.1 and PW.2 are said to be the parents of deceased Bharath and PW.3 is the mother of deceased Prathik. PW.4 is the brother of deceased Bharath. PW.5 to PW.9 are independent eye-witnesses to the incident-in-question. According to the learned counsel for the petitioner, all the aforesaid charge sheet witnesses have not supported the case of the prosecution and therefore, they were treated as hostile witnesses and cross-examined by the public prosecutor. This statement made by learned counsel for the petitioner has not been seriously disputed by learned - 8 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:12355 CRL.P No. 8784 of 2025 C/W CRL.P No. 26 of 2026 HCGP. Be that as it may, fact remains that all the material charge sheet witnesses are now examined and therefore, there cannot be any apprehension that petitioners are likely to tamper with the material charge sheet witnesses. Petitioners who are youngsters, are in custody for the last more than three years. Undisputedly all the other accused persons have been granted bail in the present case. The incident-in-question had taken place after the two parties had fought against each other, in the background of a quarrel that had taken place in the cricket ground. 9. In the present case the prosecution has in all cited 112 charge sheet witnesses, till date only 9 charge sheet witnesses are examined as PW.1 to PW.9. Under the circumstances, the chances of the trial being completed and the case being disposed of on merits in the near future is very remote. Therefore, I am of the view that without expressing any opinion on the merits and demerits of the case, the prayer of petitioners to grant bail in these successive bail applications needs to be answered - 9 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:12355 CRL.P No. 8784 of 2025 C/W CRL.P No. 26 of 2026 affirmatively, more so considering their period of incarceration. Accordingly, the following:- ORDER These Criminal petitions are allowed. The petitioners are directed to be enlarged on bail in S.C.No.10011/2023 pending before the Court of IV Additional District and Sessions Judge, Bengaluru Rural District, sitting at Doddaballapura, arising out of Crime No.24/2023 registered by Doddabelavangala Police Station, Bangalore Rural District, for offences punishable under Section 143, 147, 148, 114, 302, 201, 506, 149 of IPC, subject to the following conditions: a) The petitioners shall execute personal bond for a sum of Rs.1,00,000/- (Rupees One Lakh only) each with two sureties for the likesum, to the satisfaction of the jurisdictional Court; b) The petitioners shall appear regularly on all the dates of hearing before the Trial - 10 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:12355 CRL.P No. 8784 of 2025 C/W CRL.P No. 26 of 2026 Court unless the Trial Court exempts there appearance for valid reasons; c) The petitioners shall not directly or indirectly threaten or tamper with the prosecution witnesses; d) The petitioners shall not involve in similar offences in future; e) The petitioners shall not leave the jurisdiction of the Trial Court without permission of the said Court until the case registered against them is disposed off. Sd/- (S VISHWAJITH SHETTY) JUDGE KVR List No.: 1 Sl No.: 7