- 1 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:30616 CRL.P No. 3192 of 2026 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 22ND DAY OF JUNE, 2026 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S VISHWAJITH SHETTY CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 3192 OF 2026 BETWEEN: NAVEEN NAGARAJA @NAVEEN S/O MUTHU AGED ABOUT 24 YEARS RESIDING AT NO.79 PACCHIYAMMAN PADITHORAI GANESH NAGAR, SIMMAKAL MADURAI, TAMILNADU - 625 001 (AS PER CHARGE SHEET) …PETITIONER (BY SRI CHANDRASHEKAR R, ADV.) AND: STATE OF KARNATAKA BY BANASWADI POLICE STATION REP. BY STATE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR HIGH COURT COMPLEX BENGALURU - 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 / ACCUSED NO.2 ON BAIL IN CR.NO.523/2023 REGISTERED IN BANASWADI P.S PENDING ON THE FILE OF THE HONBLE COURT OF THE XXVI ADDL.CITY CIVIL AND SESSIONS JUDGE MAYO HALL AT BENGALURU IN S.C.NO.653/2024 FOR THE OFFENCE P/U/S 120B,307,202,212,149 OF IPC. 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:30616 CRL.P No. 3192 of 2026 CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S VISHWAJITH SHETTY ORAL ORDER 1. Accused no.2 in S.C.No.653/2024 pending before the Court of XXVI Addl. City Civil & Sessions Judge, Mayohall, Bengaluru, arising out of Crime No.523/2023 registerd by Banaswadi Police Station, Bengaluru City, for the offences punishable under Sections 120B, 307, 202, 212, 149 IPC, 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.523/2023 was registered by Banaswadi Police Station, Bengaluru City, initially for the offences punishable under Sections 307, 149 IPC, against unknown persons based on the first information dated 04.09.2023 received from Anthony Musslin who is one of the injured in the present case. During the course of investigation, petitioner herein was arrested on 15.09.2023 and after completing investigation, charge sheet has been filed against 13 persons. Petitioner is arrayed as accused no.2 in the charge sheet. His bail application filed before the jurisdictional Sessions Court in - 3 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:30616 CRL.P No. 3192 of 2026 Crl. Misc. No.25998/2025 was rejected on 26.12.2025. Therefore, he is before this Court. 4. FIR was registered against unknown persons in Crime No.523/2023 by Banasawadi Police Station based on the first information submitted by Anthony Musslin who had suffered grievous injury in the incident that had taken place on 04.09.2023 inside Sukh Sagar Restaurant near Sena Vihar within the jurisdiction of Banasawadi Police Station. In the first information, it is stated that when the first informant and the other injured CW-2 were having coffee inside Sukh Sagar Restaurant, some unknown persons who were armed with deadly weapons, came inside the hotel and assaulted CW-1 & CW-2 causing grievous injuries to them. Based on the statement of the injured recorded in the hospital, first information was registered against unknown persons. During the course of investigation, petitioner was arrested on 15.09.2023 and some of the accused were arrested thereafter. After completing investigation, charge sheet is filed. 5. In the charge sheet, it is alleged that accused no.1 and CW-2 hail from Madurai and they were involved in multiple - 4 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:30616 CRL.P No. 3192 of 2026 criminal cases and had grudge against each other for many years. Since CW-2 apprehended danger at the hands of accused no.1, he allegedly was searching a house at Bengaluru and accordingly, he had come to Bengaluru along with CW-1 in search of a house at Sena Vihar within the jurisdiction of Banasawadi Police Station. At about 4.00 p.m. on 03.09.2023, when CW-1 & CW-2 were inside Sukh Sagar Restaurant, opposite to Sena Vihar, accused nos.2 to 11 who were armed with deadly weapons, entered the said restaurant and assaulted CW-1 & CW-2 with deadly weapons causing grievous injuries to them. Believing that the injured had died, the assailants had left the place and it was subsequently informed to accused no.1 who had engaged the services of accused nos.2 to 11 to commit the murder of CW-2 that the assailants had finished their job. 6. In the incident in question, CW-1 & CW-2 had suffered grievous injuries. The incident had taken place in a restaurant in the presence of public and such incident shakes the confidence of public in rule of law. Petitioner is a person with criminal antecedents and records would reveal that he is - 5 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:30616 CRL.P No. 3192 of 2026 involved in similar offences even in Tamilnadu State. The other accused persons who are arrested in the present case are all in jail. In the event, petitioner is enlarged on bail, chances of he tampering with the material prosecution witnesses viz., CW-1 & CW-2 cannot be ruled out. Undisputedly, the said witnesses are yet to be examined. Under the circumstances, I am of the opinion that at this stage, the prayer made by the petitioner for grant of regular bail cannot be entertained. Accordingly, petition is dismissed. Sd/- (S VISHWAJITH SHETTY) JUDGE KK