- 1 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:26669 CRL.P No. 4939 of 2026 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 5TH DAY OF JUNE, 2026 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S VISHWAJITH SHETTY CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 4939 OF 2026 BETWEEN: SRI RAMACHANDRA, S/O SUBRAMANI, AGED ABOUT 25 YEARS, R/AT NO. 666, 1ST MAIN ROAD, NEAR SHANKAR NAGA BUS STOP, KAMALA NAGAR, BANGALORE CITY-560079. …PETITIONER (BY SRI NARAYANASWAMY K N, ADVOCATE) AND: 1. THE STATE OF KARNATAKA, MAGADI ROAD POLICE STATION, REP BY.STATE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA, HIGH COURT BUILDINGS, BANGALORE - 560001. 2. SRI. SOWBHAGYA, S/O LATE BETTASWAMY, AGED ABOUT 34 YEARS, R/AT.NO.199, 1ST MAIN, 2ND CROSS, NEAR GANGADESHWARA SCHOOL, BASAVESHWARA NAGAR, BENGALURU CITY-560079. …RESPONDENTS (BY SRI VINAY MAHADEVAIAH, HCGP FOR R1 R2 - SERVED) THIS CRL.P IS FILED U/S 439 CR.PC (FILED U/S 483 BNSS) BY THE ADVOCATE FOR THE PETITIONER PRAYING THAT THIS HONOURABLE COURT MAY BE PLEASED TO Digitally signed by BELUR RANGADHAMA NANDINI Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA - 2 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:26669 CRL.P No. 4939 of 2026 ENLARGE THE PETITIONER ON REGULAR BAIL U/S 483 OF THE CODE OF BNSS 2023, IN (CR.NO.263/2025) SPL.C.C.NO.109/2026 OF MAGADI ROAD POLICE STATION FOR THE O/P/US 87, 64(2)(m), 127(4) OF THE BNS 2023, AND U/S 6 OF POCSO ACT 2012 AND U/S 9 OF PROHIBITION OF CHILD MARRIAGE ACT, 2006 PENDING ON THE FILE OF THE HONBLE ADDL. CITY CIVIL AND SESSIONS JUDGE, FTSC-V, AT BENGALURU AND ETC. THIS PETITION, COMING ON FOR ORDERS, THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER: CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S VISHWAJITH SHETTY ORAL ORDER Accused in Special C.C.No.109/2026 pending before the Court of Additional City Civil and Sessions Judge, FTSC-V, Bengaluru, arising out of Crime No.263/2025 registered by Magadi Road Police Station, Bengaluru City for offences punishable under Section 6 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (for short 'POCSO'), Sections 87, 64(2)(m), 127(4) of The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (for short 'BNS, 2023') and Section 9 of Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 is before this Court under Section 483 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023 seeking regular bail. - 3 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:26669 CRL.P No. 4939 of 2026 2. Heard the learned counsel appearing for the petitioner and learned High Court Government Pleader on behalf of respondent No.1. 3. Respondent No.2 who is served in the matter is unrepresented before this Court. 4. FIR in the present case was registered initially for the offence punishable under Section 137(2) of BNS, 2023 in Crime No.263/2025 by Magadi Road Police Station, Bengaluru City, against the unknown person based on the first information dated 06.11.2025 received from respondent No.2 who is the mother of the victim girl. 5. During the course of investigation, the petitioner and the victim girl were traced in Tamil Nadu State. Thereafter, they were brought back to their village and the petitioner was arrested on 20.11.2025 and remanded to judicial custody. The investigation of the case is completed and charge sheet has been filed against the petitioner for the aforesaid offences. 6. The bail application filed by the petitioner before the Trial Court in Crl.Misc.No.2423/2026 was dismissed on 18.03.2026. Therefore, the petitioner is before this Court. - 4 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:26669 CRL.P No. 4939 of 2026 7. The mother of the victim girl had approached the Police on 06.11.2025 and submitted first information stating that her minor daughter aged about 16 years 6 months who was studying in I PUC had not returned home from college. When her relatives tried to contact her over her mobile phone, the victim girl had informed them not to search for her and thereafter disconnected the call. It is under these circumstances, FIR was registered against unknown person under Section 137(2) of BNS against the petitioner. 8. In the charge sheet, it is alleged that the petitioner and the victim girl were acquainted to each other and they were in love. After the mother of the victim girl came to know about the same, she had advised her and asked her not to contact the petitioner. This was informed by the victim girl to the petitioner. Subsequently, the petitioner and the victim girl had left their respective houses and had travelled to Shivagiri in Tamil Nadu State and got married. Thereafter, they were staying in a rented house at Tamil Nadu from 07.11.2025 to 18.11.2025. Police came there and brought them back. In the statement of the victim girl recorded under Section 183 of BNSS, 2023 she has not made any serious allegation as against - 5 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:26669 CRL.P No. 4939 of 2026 the petitioner. On the other hand she has stated that she had voluntarily gone with the petitioner and got married and thereafter lived in a rented house as husband and wife. 9. The petitioner aged about 25 years is in custody from 20.11.2025. Investigation of the case is completed and charge sheet has been filed. The petitioner and the victim girl had left their houses voluntarily and got married. Subsequently, they stayed in the same house as husband and wife for a considerable period of time. 10. In view of the aforesaid aspects of the matter, I am of the opinion that the prayer made by the petitioner for grant of regular bail has to be answered in the affirmative. 11. Accordingly, the following: ORDER The petitioner is directed to be enlarged on bail in Special C.C.No.109/2026 pending before the Court of Additional city Civil and Sessions Judge, FTSC-V, Bengaluru, arising out of Crime No.263/2025 registered by Magadi Road Police Station, Bengaluru City for offences punishable under Section 6 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (for short - 6 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:26669 CRL.P No. 4939 of 2026 'POCSO'), Sections 87, 64(2)(m), 127(4) of BNS and Section 9 of Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, subject to the following conditions: a) Petitioner shall execute personal bond for a sum of Rs.1,00,000/- with two sureties for the likesum, to the satisfaction of the jurisdictional Court; b) The petitioner shall appear regularly on all the dates of hearing before the Trial Court unless the Trial Court exempts his appearance for valid reasons; c) The petitioner shall not directly or indirectly threaten or tamper with the prosecution witnesses; d) The petitioner shall not involve in similar offences in future; e) The petitioner shall not leave the jurisdiction of the Trial Court without permission of the said Court until the case registered against him is disposed off. Sd/- (S VISHWAJITH SHETTY) JUDGE GVP/List No.: 1 Sl No.: 46