APHC010130082026 IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH AT AMARAVATI (Special Original Jurisdiction) [3396] WEDNESDAY, THE EIGHTEENTH DAY OF MARCH TWO THOUSAND AND TWENTY SIX PRESENT THE HONOURABLE DR JUSTICE VENKATA JYOTHIRMAI PRATAPA CRIMINAL PETITION NO: 1972/2026 Between: 1. DEVIREDDY SAMBAIAH, S/O DEVIREDDY VEERAIAH, AGED ABOUT 60 YEARS, SARPANCH, PANDRAPADU VILLAGE, RIO D.NO.1-17, PANDRAPADU VILLAGE, KAKUMANU MANDAL, GUNTUR DISTRICT. (A1) 2. SIKHANAM JAGADEESH ALIAS JAGADEESH BABU, S/O SIKINAM SUBBA RAO, AGED ABOUT 38 YEARS, VICE-SARPANCH, PANDRAPADU VILLAGE,R/O PANDRAPADU VILLAGE, KAKUMANU MANDAL, GUNTUR DISTRICT. (A2) 3. DEVIREDDY RAMA KOTAMMA, W/O DEVIREDDY SAMBAIAH, AGED ABOUT 52 YEARS, R/O PANDRAPADU VILLAGE, KAKUMANU MANDAL, GUNTUR DISTRICT. (A3) 4. DEVIREDDY SIVA RAMA KRISHNA, S/O DEVIREDDY SAMBAIAH, AGED ABOUT 36 YEARS, R/O PANDRAPADU VILLAGE, KAKUMANU MANDAL, GUNTUR DISTRICT. (A4) 5. KADIYAM SANKARA RAO ALIAS SANKAR, S/O KADIYAM RAMA RAO, AGED ABOUT 48 YEARS, R/O PANDRAPADU VILLAGE, KAKUMANU MANDAL, GUNTUR DISTRICT. (A5) 6. KADIYAM UMA GOURI ALIAS GOWRI,, W/O KADIYAM SANKARA RAO, AGED ABOUT 45 YEARS,R/O PANDRAPADU VILLAGE, KAKUMANU MANDAL, GUNTUR DISTRICT. (A6) 7. DEVIREDDY MALLIKARJUNA RAO, S/O DEVIREDDY AMMAIAH, AGED ABOUT 50 YEARS, R/O PANDRAPADU VILLAGE, 2 KAKUMANU MANDAL, GUNTUR DISTRICT. (A7) 8. DEVIREDDY MARKANDEYULU,, S/O DEVIREDDY AMMAIAH, AGED ABOUT 43 YEARS, R/O PANDRAPADU VILLAGE, KAKUMANU MANDAL, GUNTUR DISTRICT. (A8) 9. DEVIREDDY AMMAIAH, , S/O DEVIREDDY VEERAIAH, AGED ABOUT 66 YEARS, RIO PANDRAPADU VILLAGE, KAKUMANU MANDAL, GUNTUR DISTRICT. (A9) 10. DEVIREDDY SRINIVAS ALIAS SRINIVASA RAO, S/O DEVIREDDY MALLIKARJUNA RAO, AGED ABOUT 23 YEARS. (A10) 11. MANDAVA AKKA RAO, S/O MANDAVA SAMBAIAH, AGED ABOUT 36 YEARS. (A11) 12. DEVIREDDY VIJAYA BABU, S/O DEVIREDDY MARKANDEYULU, AGED ABOUT 24 YEARS. (A12) 13. NIMMA VENKATESWARLU, S/O NIMMA VENKATA RATHAIAH, AGED ABOUT 50 YEARS. (A13) 14. NIMMA ANIL, S/O VENKATESWARLU, AGED ABOUT 27 YEARS. (A14) PETITIONERS NO 10 TO 14 RESIDENTS OF PANDRAPADU VILLAGE, KAKUMANU MANDAL, GUNTUR DISTRICT. ...PETITIONER/ACCUSED(S) AND 1. THE STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH, REP. BY PUBLIC PROSECUTOR, THROUGH STATION HOUSE OFFICER, KAKUMANU POLICE STATION, GUNTUR DISTRICT. 2. RAYASAM AMARESWARA RAO, S/O. SURIBABU, AGED ABOUT 40 YEARS, OCC: GOVERNEMNET OFFICIAL, R/O. SRINAGAR COLONY, GUNTUR TOWN, GUNTUR DISTRICT. ...RESPONDENT/COMPLAINANT Petition under Section 437/438/439/482 of Cr.P.C and 528 of BNSS praying that in the circumstances stated in the Memorandum of Grounds of Criminal Petition, the High Court pleased to grant anticipatory bail to the petitioners/Accused in the event of their arrest in Crime No.20 of 2026 dated 04.03.2026 on the file of Kakumanu Police Station, Guntur District, registered 3 for the offences punishable under Sections 351(3), 132, 115(2), 285, 127(2), 189(2) read with Section 190 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, IA NO: 1 OF 2026 Petition under Section 482 of Cr.P.C and 528 of BNSS praying that in the circumstances stated in the Memorandum of Grounds of Criminal Petition, the High Court may be pleased to grant interim bail order direct the respondent police not to arrest the petitioners in Crime No.20 of 2026 dated 04.03.2026 on the file of Kakumanu Police Station, Guntur District IA NO: 2 OF 2026 Petition under Section 482 of Cr.P.C and 528 of BNSS praying that in the circumstances stated in the Memorandum of Grounds of Criminal Petition,the High Court may be pleased May be pleased to implead the petitioner herein Victim defacto complainant as Respondent No. 2 in the criminal petition CRLP. No. 1972/2026, to file counter and advance arguments and pass Counsel for the Petitioner/accused(S): 1. Sudharsana Reddy J Counsel for the Respondent/complainant: 1. PUBLIC PROSECUTOR 4 THE HONOURABLE DR JUSTICE VENKATA JYOTHIRMAI PRATAPA CRIMINAL PETITION NO: 1972/2026 ORDER:- The Criminal Petition has been filed under Section 482 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (for brevity „the BNSS‟) by the petitioners/Accused Nos. 1 to 14, for granting of pre-arrest bail in connection with Crime No.20 of 2026 dated 04.03.2026 on the file of Kakumanu Police Station, Guntur District, registered for the offences punishable under Sections 351(3), 132, 115(2), 285, 127(2), 189(2) read with Section 190 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (for short “BNS”). 2. The case of the prosecution is that the de facto complainant submitted a report stating that on 04.03.2026 at about 11:00 AM, while the complainant is attending his duties, the accused persons charged into his room and forced him to put his signatures in the work M Book, which has to be in the possession of Panchayat Secretary. While he tried to go out of his room, the accused detained him and threatened him with dire consequences. 3. Heard Sri Sudharsana Reddy J, learned counsel for the petitioners and Mrs.K.Priyanka Lakshmi, learned Assistant Public Prosecutor on behalf of the State. Ms.Ayesha Azma.S, learned counsel for the defacto complainant/respondent No.2 is in attendance. Perused the record. 5 4. Learned counsel for the petitioners would submit that the petition may be disposed of by giving protection to the petitioners vide guidelines of the Hon‟ble Apex Court in Arnesh Kumar v. State of Bihar1. 5. Learned Assistant Public Prosecutor, on instructions, would submit that the offences registered against the petitioners are punishable with less than seven years period of imprisonment and necessary direction may be given to the concerned Station House Officer. 6. Considering the submissions, this Criminal petition is disposed of, with the following; a. Investigating Officer is at liberty to complete the investigation, in accordance with law. b. In the event of any coercive action sought to be taken against the petitioners, concerned police authorities are further directed to scrupulously follow the procedure prescribed under Section 35 (3) of BNSS., [Section 41-A Cr.P.C] and the guidelines laid down by the Hon‟ble Supreme Court in Arnesh Kumar’s case (supra). c. The Petitioners shall make themselves available for investigation and shall cooperate with the investigating officer for further investigation. 1 (2014) 8 SCC 273 6 Consequently, miscellaneous applications pending, if any, shall stand closed. __________________________________ DR.VENKATA JYOTHIRMAI PRATAPA, J Date: 18.03.2026 UPS 7 16 THE HONOURABLE DR JUSTICE VENKATA JYOTHIRMAI PRATAPA CRIMINAL PETITION NO: 1972 OF 2026 Dt: 18.03.2026 UPS