- 1 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:29395 CRL.A No. 2160 of 2025 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 16TH DAY OF JUNE, 2026 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S RACHAIAH CRIMINAL APPEAL NO. 2160 OF 2025 (C) BETWEEN: 1. CHANDRAPPA @ CHANDRAPPA S/O ANNAPPAGOWDA, AGED ABOUT 62 YEARS, OCCUPATION: COOLI, RESIDENT OF 1ST CROSS, BANJARA TAANDA, HIRIYURU VILLAGE, BHADRAVATI TALUK, SHIVAMOGGA – 577 302. 2. GANGAMMA @GANGAMMA, C/O CHANDRAPPA, AGED 57 YEARS, RESIDENT OF 1ST CROSS, BANJARA TAANDA, HIRIYURU VILLAGE, BHADRAVATI TALUK, SHIVAMOGGA – 577 302. 3. SANTHOSH S/O CHANDRAPPA AGED ABOUT 26 YEARS R/AT NO.132, ULBEBAIU ROAD, HIRIYURU VILLAGE, Digitally signed by SUSHMA LAKSHMI B S Location: High Court of Karnataka - 2 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:29395 CRL.A No. 2160 of 2025 BHADRAVATI TALUK, SHIVAMOGGA – 577 302. 4. MANJUNATHA @MANJU S/O CHANDRAPPA AGED ABOUT 24 YEARS OCCUPATION: DRIVER, R/AT HIRIYURU VILLAGE BHADRAVATI TALUK – 577 302. PERMANENT RESIDENT AT SIDDANAHOSAHALLI, BENGALURU NORTH, BENGALURU – 562 162. 5. KAVITHA @ KAVITHA H C C/O KUMARASWAMI, AGED 34 YEARS, R/AT GUDDADAHATTI VILLAGE, TARIKERE TALUK, CHIKKAMAGALURU HAVING PERMANENT RESIDENCE AT GINK LINE, 2ND CROSS, BHADRAVATI TALUK, SHIVAMOGGA – 577 201. …APPELLANTS (BY SRI. PRASAD B S., ADVOCATE) AND: 1. STATE BY PAPER TOWN P.S., BHADRAVATI – 577 245. REPRESENTED BY - 3 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:29395 CRL.A No. 2160 of 2025 STATE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA, BANGALORE – 560 001. 2. MANGALEE BAYI. AGED ABOUT 84 YEARS R/AT HIRIYURU TANDA, BHADRAVATHI, SHIMOGA DISTRICT -577 245. …RESPONDENTS (BY SRI. M.V. ANOOPKUMAR, HCGP FOR R1; SRI. NAGARAJ M. BHAT, ADVOCATE FOR R2) ---- THIS CRL.A FILED U/S 374(2) CR.P.C (U/S 415(2) BNSS) BY THE ADVOCATE FOR THE APPELLANTS PRAYING TO SET ASIDE THE JUDGEMENT AND ORDER ON CONVICTION AND SENTENCE DTD 16.10.2023 IN SPL.CC.NO.5043/2023 BY THE IV ADDL. DISTRICT AND SESSIONS JUDGE AND SPECIAL COURT UNDER SC/ST (POA) ACT, 1989, AT SHIVAMOGGA. THIS APPEAL, COMING ON FOR HEARING, THIS DAY, JUDGMENT WAS DELIVERED THEREIN AS UNDER: CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S RACHAIAH - 4 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:29395 CRL.A No. 2160 of 2025 ORAL JUDGMENT 1. Heard Mr. B.S. Prasad, learned counsel for the appellants, and Mr. M.V. Anoopkumar, learned High Court Government Pleader for respondent No.1. Learned counsel Mr. Nagaraj M. Bhat, has filed vakalath on behalf of respondent No.2. The same is taken on record. 2. This Criminal Appeal is filed by the appellants / accused Nos.1 to 5 seeking to set aside the judgment of conviction and order on sentence dated 16.10.2023 in Spl.C.No.5043/2023 passed by the IV Additional District and Sessions Judge, Shivamogga (Sitting at Bhadravathi). 3. Learned counsel for the appellants and the respondent No.2 submit that the appellants and the respondent No.2 have settled the dispute amicably and filed I.A.No.1/2026 under Section 320 r/w Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (for short “Cr.P.C.”) along with joint affidavit and pray to allow the compounding application and consequently, set aside the impugned judgment. The same is taken on record. - 5 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:29395 CRL.A No. 2160 of 2025 4. Learned High Court Government appearing for respondent No.1 has no objection to allow the application. 5. The appellants and the respondent No.2 are present and identified by their respective counsels. The application I.A.No.1/2026 is duly signed by the learned counsel for the appellants and learned counsel for respondent No.2. The accompanying joint affidavit is duly signed by the appellants and the respondent No.2. 6. Perused the averments made in the application and the joint affidavit and also considered the offences for which the appellants have been convicted. In view of the settlement arrived at between the appellants and the respondent No.2, there is no embargo to this Court to record the compromise. 7. Accordingly, I proceed to pass the following: ORDER (i) I.A.No.1/2026 is allowed. Consequently, the Criminal Appeal stands disposed of in terms of the compromise. - 6 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:29395 CRL.A No. 2160 of 2025 (ii) The judgment of conviction and order of sentence dated 16.10.2023 in Spl.C.No.5043/2023 passed by the IV Additional District and Sessions Judge, Shivamogga (Sitting at Bhadravathi), is set aside. (iii) The appellants / accused Nos.1 to 5 are acquitted for the offences punishable under Sections 143, 148, 504, 354, 323, 324, 506, 427 r/w 149 of Indian Penal Code and Sections 3(1)(r), 3(1)(s) and 3(2)(va) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 2015. (iv) Bail bonds executed, if any, stand cancelled. (v) The fine amount deposited by the accused, if any, shall be returned to accused No.4, on proper identification. Sd/- (S RACHAIAH) JUDGE BSS List No.: 1 Sl No.: 51