- 1 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:28795 CRL.P No. 15957 of 2025 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 15TH DAY OF JUNE, 2026 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S VISHWAJITH SHETTY CRIMINAL PETITION NO.15957 OF 2025 BETWEEN: MR. CHANDAN KUMAR S/O. VISHWANATH SINGH AGED 27 YEARS RESIDING AT-KURMA VILLAGE NANAAVARA POST, NAVADA DISTRICT BIHAR STATE-805 110 …PETITIONER (BY SRI NATARAJ D., ADVOCATE) AND: 1. STATE OF KARNATAKA BY KALASIPALYA POLICE STATION REP. BY STATE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR OFF/AT HIGH COURT COMPLEX BENGALURU-560 001 2. MOHAN KHAN @ SALEEM KHAN FATHER OF VICTIM (NATURAL GUARDIAN) S/O. SHIVAJI AGED ABOUT 45 YEARS R/AT CHANDWALA VILLAGE, SOMALPUR RAMGANJ POLICE STATION, AJMER RAJASTHAN-323 001 …RESPONDENTS (BY SRI LAXMAN B., H.C.G.P., FOR R-1, VIDE ORDER DATED 12.06.2026, NOTICE TO R-2 IS COMPLETED) Digitally signed by VIDYA G R Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA - 2 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:28795 CRL.P No. 15957 of 2025 THIS CRL.P IS FILED U/S. 439 CR.PC (FILED U/S. 483 BNSS) BY THE ADVOCATE FOR THE PETITIONER PRAYING TO GRANT REGULAR BAIL UNDER SECTION 483 OF BHARATIYA NAGARIK SURAKSHA SANHITA, 2023, CRIME NO.141/2025 AND SPL.C NO.1888/2025 REGISTERED AT BENGALURU CITY FOR THE OFFENCES PUNISHABLE UNDER SECTIONS 64(2)(m), 87, 127(4) OF BNS AND SECTION 6 OF POCSO ACT 2012, WHICH IS PENDING BEFORE THE HON'BLE ADDITONAL CITY CIVIL AND SESSIONS JUDGE FTSC-V BENGALURU. THE ADDL CITY CIVIL AND SESSIONS JUDGE FTSC-V BENGALURU HAS DISMISSED BAIL PETITION ON 30.10.2025 IN CRL.MISC.NO.8025/2025. 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 Spl.C.C.No.1888/2025 pending before the Court of Additional City Civil and Sessions Judge-FTSC-V, Bengaluru, arising out of Crime No.141/2025 registered by Kalasipalya Police Station, Bengaluru, for the offences punishable under Sections 64(2)(m), 87, 127(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhitha, 2023 (hereinafter referred to as 'BNS, 2023' for short) and Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (for short 'POCSO Act') is before this Court in this criminal petition filed - 3 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:28795 CRL.P No. 15957 of 2025 under Section 483 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, seeking regular bail. 2. Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner and the learned HCGP for the respondent/State. Respondent No. 2 who is served in the matter has remained unrepresented before this Court. 3. FIR in Crime No. 141/2025 was registered by Kalasipalya Police Station, Bengaluru, for the aforesaid offences against the petitioner herein, based on the first information dated 03.07.2025 received from the victim girl, who was aged about 17 years. During the course of investigation of the case, petitioner herein was arrested on 03.07.2025 and remanded to judicial custody. After completing investigation, charge sheet against him for the aforesaid offences has been filed. His bail petition filed before the trial Court in Crl.Misc.No. 8025/2025 was rejected on 30.10.2025. Therefore, he is before this Court. - 4 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:28795 CRL.P No. 15957 of 2025 4. Perusal of the first information dated 03.07.2025 would go to show that petitioner was introduced to the victim girl, who was then aged 17 years, by her brother-in-law, Salman Khan. According to the victim girl, petitioner had proposed to her, but she had rejected the said proposal. On 15.06.2025, victim girl who is the resident of Jharkhand State had travelled with the petitioner to Bengaluru in a train and had stayed in a lodge at Kalasipalya in Bengaluru. In the said lodge, petitioner allegedly had sexual intercourse with the victim girl. On 02.07.2025, a lady by name Lakshmi came to the said lodge and informed the victim girl that she is the wife of the petitioner. Thereafter petitioner had approached the police on 03.07.2025 and submitted her first information, based on which, FIR in Crime No. 141/2025 was registered by Kalasipalya Police Station against the petitioner for the aforesaid offences. - 5 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:28795 CRL.P No. 15957 of 2025 5. Investigation of the case is now completed and charge sheet has been filed against the petitioner for the aforesaid offences. During the course of trial, victim girl has been examined as P.W.2 before the trial Court on 07.01.2026. She has been completely cross examined on behalf of the defence. Thereafter the parents of the victim girl have been examined as P.W.3 and P.W.4 before the trial Court and even their cross-examination has been completed on behalf of the defence. 6. Under the circumstances, I am of the opinion that without expressing any opinion on the merits and demerits of the case, prayer made by the petitioner for grant of regular bail needs to be answered affirmatively subject to appropriate conditions. Accordingly, the following: ORDER The petition is allowed. The petitioner is directed to be enlarged on bail in Spl.C.C.No.1888/2025 pending - 6 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:28795 CRL.P No. 15957 of 2025 before the Court of Additional City Civil and Sessions Judge-FTSC-V, Bengaluru, arising out of Crime No.141/2025 registered by Kalasipalya Police Station, Bengaluru, for the offences punishable under Sections 64(2)(m), 87, 127(4) of BNS, 2023 and Section 6 of the POCSO Act, subject to the following conditions: a) The petitioner shall execute a personal bond for a sum of Rs.1,00,000/- (Rupees One Lakh only) with two sureties for the likesum, to the satisfaction of the jurisdictional Court; b) The petitioner shall appear regularly on all the date 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; - 7 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:28795 CRL.P No. 15957 of 2025 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 of. SD/- (S VISHWAJITH SHETTY) JUDGE VP