- 1 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:29797 CRL.P No. 7138 of 2026 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 17TH DAY OF JUNE, 2026 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S VISHWAJITH SHETTY CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 7138 OF 2026 BETWEEN: SRI KUMAR R S/O RAMANNA N. AGED ABOUT 50 YEARS OUTSOURCE EMPLOYEE KIADB, ARVINDHA BHAVAN BENGALURU. …PETITIONER (BY SMT. APARAJITHA PRABHU, ADV.) AND: THE STATE OF KARNATAKA THROUGH THE KARNATAKA LOKAYUKTA BENGALURU URBAN WING REP. BY THE SPP, HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA, BENGALURU - 01. …RESPONDENT (BY SRI K. PRASANNA SHETTY, ADV.) THIS CRL.P IS FILED U/S 439 CR.PC (FILED U/S 483 BNNS) PRAYING TO EXERCISE POWER U/S 483 OF THE BNS 2023 AND ENLARGE THE PETITIONER ON BAIL IN KARNATAKA LOKAYUKTA BANGALORE POLICE STATION CRIME NO.18/2026 FOR OFFENCES P/U/S 7, 7(A) OF THE PREVENTION OF CORRUPTION ACT 1988, PENDING ON THE FILE OF THE XXIII ADDL.CITY CIVIL AND SESSIONS JUDGE CUM SPECIAL JUDGE (P.C.ACT) BENGALURU OR ANY REASONABLE CONDITIONS/ THAT THIS HONBLE COURT DEEMS FIT. Digitally signed by NANDINI M S Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA - 2 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:29797 CRL.P No. 7138 of 2026 THIS PETITION, COMING ON FOR ORDERS, THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER: CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S VISHWAJITH SHETTY ORAL ORDER 1. Accused no.2 in Crime No.18/2026 registered by Lokayukta Police, Bengaluru, for the offences punishable under Sections 7(a), 7A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, 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.18/2026 was registered by Lokayukta Police, Bengaluru, based on the first information dated 28.04.2026 received from Ravikumar S/o Lakkappa. In the said case, petitioner herein was arrested on 29.04.2026 and remanded to judicial custody. His bail application filed before the Trial Court in Crime No.18/2026 was rejected by order dated 05.05.2026. Therefore, he is before this Court. 4. The allegation found in the first information is that accused no.1 had demanded a sum of Rs.1 Crore from the - 3 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:29797 CRL.P No. 7138 of 2026 complainant and after negotiation, had scaled down the same to Rs.30 lakhs, for the purpose of changing the revenue entries of certain property belonging to one Smt. Gayathriyamma. It is further alleged that out of the said amount of Rs.30 lakhs, a sum of Rs.15 lakhs was received by the petitioner herein on behalf of accused no.1 from the first informant and in the raid that was conducted subsequently on 29.04.2026, after registration of FIR, the Lokayukta Police had trapped accused no.2 while accepting balance bribe amount of Rs.15 lakhs from the first informant. 5. In a case of trap, major portion of the investigation is completed as on the date of trap itself. Petitioner is said to be the acquaintance of accused no.1 who allegedly had demanded the bribe amount and the amount was collected by the petitioner on behalf of accused no.1. Accused no.1 has been granted regular bail in the present case on medical grounds. So far as petitioner is concerned, he is in custody from 29.04.2026 onwards. Major portion of the investigation is completed. The maximum punishment for the alleged offence is imprisonment for a period of seven years. Under the circumstances, I am of - 4 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:29797 CRL.P No. 7138 of 2026 the opinion that petitioner's prayer for grant of regular bail is required to be answered affirmatively. Accordingly, the following order: 6. The petition is allowed. The petitioner is directed to be enlarged on bail in Crime No.18/2026 registered by Lokayukta Police, Bengaluru, for the offences punishable under Sections 7(a), 7A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, 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 - 5 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:29797 CRL.P No. 7138 of 2026 Court until the case registered against him is disposed off. Sd/- (S VISHWAJITH SHETTY) JUDGE KK