- 1 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:31927 CRL.P No. 7072 of 2026 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 25TH DAY OF JUNE, 2026 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S VISHWAJITH SHETTY CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 7072 OF 2026 BETWEEN: SRI RAMESH S.V S/O LATE S.G. VENKATARAMAYYA AGED ABOUT 54 YEARS RESIDING AT NO.06, 3RD CROSS TEACHERS COLONY, BHUPASANDRA MAIN ROAD, NAGASHETTY VILLAGE BENGALURU CITY, KARNATAKA - 560 094. …PETITIONER (BY SRI BHARGAV S GOWDA, ADV.) AND: STATE OF KARNATAKA BY HALASURGATE POLICE STATION BENGALURU CITY, REPRESENTED BY THE STATE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR, HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA, BENGALURU 560 001. …RESPONDENT (BY SRI VINAY MAHADEVAIAH, HCGP) THIS CRL.P IS FILED U/S 439 CR.PC (FILED U/S 483 BNSS) PRAYING TO ENLARGE THE PETITIONER/ ACCUSED NO.1, SRI RAMESH S.V SON OF LATE .S G.VENKATARAMAYYA ON REGULAR BAIL IN CR.NO.57/2026 REGISTERED BY THE HALASURGATE P.S. BENGALURU CITY FOR THE OFFENCE P/U/S 178,179,180 OF BNS 2023. THIS PETITION, COMING ON FOR ORDERS, THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER: CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S VISHWAJITH SHETTY Digitally signed by NANDINI M S Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA - 2 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:31927 CRL.P No. 7072 of 2026 ORAL ORDER 1. Accused no.1 in Crime No.57 of 2026 registered by Halasur gate Police Station, Bengaluru for offences punishable under Section 178, 179 and 180 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.57 of 2026 was registered by Halasur gate Police Station, Bengaluru for the aforesaid offences against the petitioner herein, based on the first information dated 09.04.2026, received from Sri Bhim Chaudhary, son of late Lakhan Chaudhary, Officer of Reserve Bank of India, Bangalore. In the said case, petitioner was arrested on 09.04.2026 and remanded to judicial custody. His bail application filed before the jurisdictional Sessions Court in Crl.Misc.No.3699 of 2026 was rejected on 28.04.2026. Therefore, he is before this Court. - 3 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:31927 CRL.P No. 7072 of 2026 4. In the first information dated 09.04.2026, it is stated that petitioner who visited the Reserve Bank of India on 09.04.2026 at about 11.12 a.m. allegedly had deposited 375 notes of ₹.2,000/- denomination with a request to credit exchange value to his bank account. On verification, it was found that the aforesaid 375 notes of ₹.2,000/- denomination were counterfeit notes and it is under these circumstances, Officer of the bank had approached the police and based on his first information, FIR was registered against the petitioner for the aforesaid offences. 5. During the course of investigation, petitioner and two others were arrested. Accused no.2 is said to be the friend of the petitioner and accused no.3 is the person who had brought the aforesaid 375 counterfeit notes and handed over the same to accused no.2. 6. Learned HCGP has made available the records relating to the present case which would reveal that during the course of investigation, the police have recorded the statement of Smt. Gangamma, wife of accused no.3 Hanumantha on 10.04.2026 and her statement under Section 183 of BNSS, - 4 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:31927 CRL.P No. 7072 of 2026 2023 was recorded by the jurisdictional Magistrate on 23.04.2026 wherein she has stated that on 06.04.2026 she had found the aforesaid 375 notes of ₹.2,000/- denomination, which were lying near the garbage bin on the way to her house. She has stated that she had taken the said notes and handed over the same to her husband ( accused no.3), who informed her that he would be contacting accused no.2, who is his friend. It appears that accordingly accused no.3 had handed over the aforesaid 375 notes to accused no.2-Rajendra and thereafter accused No.2 handed over the same to accused no.1, who had approached the reserve bank along with the said notes with a request to credit exchange value to his bank account. 7. From the aforesaid aspects of the matter, it appears that accused persons, who had accidentally found the aforesaid 375 notes of Rs.2000/- denomination had attempted to present the same before the reserve bank of India to avail exchange value of the said notes. 8. Major portion of the investigation is already completed. Under the aforesaid peculiar facts of the case, I am - 5 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:31927 CRL.P No. 7072 of 2026 of the opinion that prayer made by the petitioner for grant of regular bail needs to be answered affirmatively. 9. Accordingly, the following:- ORDER Criminal petition is allowed. The petitioner is directed to be enlarged on bail in Crime No.57 of 2026 registered by Halasur gate Police Station, Bengaluru for offences punishable under Section 178, 179 and 180 of BNS, 2023, 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 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. - 6 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:31927 CRL.P No. 7072 of 2026 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 off. Sd/- (S VISHWAJITH SHETTY) JUDGE NMS List No.: 1 Sl No.: 58