APHC010131482026 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: 2005/2026 Between: 1. AVULA VIVEKANANDA RAEDDY, S.O A.GANGI REDDY, AGED ABOUT 65 YEARS, R.O D.NO. 8-47, GANJI VARI PALLI VILLAGE, VEPAMANIPETA MANDAL, ANANTHAPURAM DISTRICT-515581 2. THIRUMALA SETTY GANGADAHRA ALIAS GANGADHAR, S/O T SUBBA RAYUDU, AGED ABOUT 34 YEARS, R/O.D.NO.1-29, BURUJU PALLI VILLAGE, TALUPULA MANDAL, ANATHAPURAM DISTRICT-515581 3. UBBARA MAL REDDY ALIAS MALLI REDDY, S/O, U.OBULA REDDU, AGED ABOUT 32 YEARS, R/O.D.NO.2-89, MADDIKA VANDLA PALLI, VTC TALUPULA, ANANTHAPURAM DISTRICT-515581 ...PETITIONER/ACCUSED(S) AND 1. THE STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH, rep by its Public Prosecutor, High Court of Andhra Pradesh at Amaravati. ...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 Courtmay be to grant anticipatory Bail to the petitioners by directing the Station House Officer, Talupula Police Station, Sri Satya Sai District, to release the Petitioners/ Accused No. 2 to 4 on bail in the event of their arrest in connection with Crime No. 13 of 2026 of Talupula 2 Police Station,Sri Sathya Sai district, registered for the offences punishable U/s. 332(a), 351(2) r/w 3(5) BNS, Counsel for the Petitioner/accused(S): 1. RAMAKRISHNA AKURATHI Counsel for the Respondent/complainant: 1. PUBLIC PROSECUTOR The Court made the following: 3 Order: The Criminal Petition is filed under Section 482 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (for brevity, ‘the BNSS’), by the petitioners, who are Accused Nos.2 to 4, seeking anticipatory bail in connection with Crime No.13 of 2026 of Talupula Police Station, Sri Satya Sai District, registered for the offences punishable under Sections 332(a), 351(2) r/w 3(5) of BNS. 2. Learned counsel for the petitioners, after arguing for some time, has confined his argument to the extent of protecting the petitioners herein from the police on the ground that the offences alleged are punishable with imprisonment of less than seven years and prays this Court to direct the police to follow the procedure as contemplated under Section 41A of Cr.P.C. 3. On the other hand, learned Assistant Public Prosecutor did not oppose the same and concurred with the submission made by the learned counsel for the petitioners for the reason that the offences alleged are punishable with imprisonment of less than seven years. 4. Heard. Perused the material on record. 5. Since the offences alleged are punishable with imprisonment of less than seven years, this Court directs the police to follow the procedure as contemplated under Section 41A of Cr.P.C. (Section 35 of BNSS, 2023) 4 scrupulously as per the guidelines enunciated in Arnesh Kumar Vs. State of Bihar and another1. 6. With the above direction, the Criminal Petition is disposed of. As a sequel thereto, the miscellaneous petitions pending, if any, shall stand closed. ________________________________________ Dr. JUSTICE VENKATA JYOTHIRMAI PRATAPA Date:18.03.2026 ARB 1 (2014) 8 SCC 273 5 THE HONOURABLE DR JUSTICE VENKATA JYOTHIRMAI PRATAPA CRIMINAL PETITION NO: 2005 of 2026 Date: 18.03.2026 ARB