- 1 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:27695 CRL.P No. 14634 of 2025 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 9TH DAY OF JUNE, 2026 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S VISHWAJITH SHETTY CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 14634 OF 2025 BETWEEN: PURANDARA S/O. LATE KUBERA AGED ABOUT 42 YEARS RVAT RAGHAVENDRA COLONY NAVABAD GRAMA AND POST KANTANA HOBLI BIDAR TALUK AND ZILLA, BIDAR. ALSO AT NO.1, MARAKALA GRAMA AND POST, HALEKHEDA B HOBLI HUMANABAD TALUK BIDAR - 585 414. …PETITIONER (BY SRI KIRANKUMAR H.K, ADV.) AND: STATE OF KARNATAKA BY SHO COTTONPET PS BENGALORE CITY REPTD BY STATE PUBLIC PROSECUTER HIGH COURT BUILDING BENGALORE - 560 001. …RESPONDENT (BY SMT. RASHMI JADHAV, ADDL SPP) THIS CRL.P IS FILED U/S 439 CR.PC (FILED U/S 483 BNSS) PRAYING TO ENLARGE THE PETITIONER ON BAIL IN CR.NO.105/2025 CC.NO.31880/2025, COTTENPETE P.S. FOR ALLEGED OFFENCES P/U/S. 61(2), 238, 3(5), 311, 332, 332(a), 103(1) OF BNS 2023 PENDING ON THE FILE IN THE COURT OF 5 ADDL. CJM COURT IN BENGALURU CITY OF BENGALURU. THIS PETITION, COMING ON FOR ORDERS, THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER: Digitally signed by NANDINI M S Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA - 2 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:27695 CRL.P No. 14634 of 2025 CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S VISHWAJITH SHETTY ORAL ORDER 1. Accused No.1 in Crime No.105/2025 registered by Cottonpet Police Station, Bengaluru for the offences punishable under Sections 61(2), 238, 3(5), 103(1), 311 and 332(a) of BNS, 2023, is before this Court in this petition filed under Section 483 of BNSS, 2023, seeking regular bail. 2. Heard the learned counsel for the parties. 3. FIR in Crime No.105/2025 was registered by Cottonpet Police Station, Bengaluru for the aforesaid offences against unknown persons based on the first information dated 26.05.2025 received from Prakash S. Mehtre, wife of deceased Latha. During the course of investigation, petitioner herein was arrested on 29.05.2025 and after completing investigation, charge sheet has been filed against two persons. Petitioner is arrayed as accused No.1 in the charge sheet. His bail application filed before the jurisdictional Sessions Court in Crl.Misc.No.7027/2025 was rejected on 20.09.2025. Therefore, he is before this Court. - 3 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:27695 CRL.P No. 14634 of 2025 4. Learned counsel for the petitioner having reiterated the grounds urged in the petition submits that entire case of the prosecution is based on circumstantial evidence. There is no material to connect the petitioner to the crime. He has no criminal antecedents and charge sheet is already filed. Accordingly, he has to allow the petition. 5. Per contra, learned Addl. SPP, who has strongly opposed the petition submits that petitioner is a close relative of deceased and he has committed her murder for gain. The stolen articles have been recovered at the instance of the arrested accused during the course of investigation. There are strong circumstances to connect the accused to the crime. Accordingly, she prays to dismiss the petition. 6. FIR in the present case was registered against unknown persons after the dead body of deceased - Latha was found inside her house and gold jewelry, cash and other articles worth about Rs.15,51,000/- were found missing. During the course of investigation, accused Nos.1 and 2, who are permanent residents of Bidar were arrested. In a charge sheet which is filed subsequently, it is stated that accused Nos.1 and 2 are - 4 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:27695 CRL.P No. 14634 of 2025 friends and they were working in a private company at Bidar as electricians. 7. The deceased was the daughter of the maternal aunt of accused No.1. Accused Nos.1 and 2 were in serious debt and they were facing financial problems. It is under these circumstances, they had conspired to commit the murder of deceased and rob valuables from her house. On 26.05.2025, accused Nos.1 and 2 had arrived at Bengaluru and visited the house of deceased at about 08.40 a.m. when her husband was not in the house. Accused, who were waiting to commit the crime, had gone out of deceased's house and consumed liquor in a nearby shop and had returned to the house of deceased and after entering her house, they caught hold of her and strangulated her neck with a wire which they had brought with them and committed her murder. Thereafter, they had stolen the cash, gold and silver jewelry available in the house and returned back to Bidar. 8. During the course of investigation, since the movements of the accused were found in the CCTV footage adjacent to the house of the deceased, accused Nos.1 and 2 were arrested and - 5 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:27695 CRL.P No. 14634 of 2025 based on their confession statement, cash and jewelry that was robbed from the house of deceased were recovered. Presence of the accused in the neighbouring liquor shop where they had consumed alcohol prior to committing the murder of deceased was also found in the CCTV footage of the said liquor shop. Accused No.1, who is the close relative of the deceased had gained entry to the house of the accused because of the said relationship and thereafter, he along with accused No.2 has committed heinous crime for gain. Charge sheet material would go to show that there are sufficient material available on record to prima facie connect the accused persons to the crime. Under the circumstances, I am of the opinion that the prayer made by the petitioner for grant of regular bail needs to be answered negatively. Accordingly, the petition is dismissed. Sd/- (S VISHWAJITH SHETTY) JUDGE DN List No.: 1 Sl No.: 24