- 1 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:30704 CRL.P No. 6198 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. 6198 OF 2026 BETWEEN: MR. MUKUL DAS @ KUYIL S/O MR. LOHITHAKSHAN AGED ABOUT 28 YEARS RESIDING AT RESIDING AT NO.17 GROUND FLOOR, 8TH CROSS EJJIPURA MAIN ROAD BENGALURU - 560 047. …PETITIONER (BY SRI AKHIL C. MOHAN, ADV.) AND: THE STATE OF KARNATAKA MANGALORE RURAL POLICE STATION REPRESENTED BY STATE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA BENGALURU - 560 001. …RESPONDENT (BY SRI VINAY MAHADEVAIAH, HCGP) THIS CRL.P IS FILED U/S 438 CR.PC (FILED U/S 482 BNSS) PRAYING TO ENLARGE THE PETITIONER ON ANTICIPATORY BAIL IN CR.NO.52/2024 OF MANGALORE RURAL P.S NOW REGISTERED AS C.C.NO.2362/2025 PENDING IN THE FILE OF THE JUDICIAL MAGISTRATE FIRST CLASS II COURT AT MANGALORE FOR THE OFFENCES P/U/S 120B, 457, 323, 324, 307, 395, 397, 506, 201 AND 149 R/W SEC. 34 OF THE IPC. 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. Petitioner who is apprehending arrest in Crime No.52/2024 registered by Mangalore Rural Police Station, Digitally signed by NANDINI M S Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA - 2 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:30704 CRL.P No. 6198 of 2026 Mangaluru City, for the offences punishable under Sections 120B, 457, 323, 342, 324, 307, 395, 397, 506, 201, 149 IPC, is before this Court in this petition filed under Section 482 of BNSS, 2023, seeking anticipatory bail. 2. Heard the learned Counsel for the parties. 3. FIR in Crime No.52/2024 was registered Mangalore Rural Police Station, Mangaluru City, initially for the offences punishable under Sections 395, 397, 506, 149 IPC against unknown persons based on the first information dated 22.06.2024 received from Padmanabha Kotyan S/o late Lokayya Poojary. In the said case, during the course of investigation, some of the accused have been arrested and after completing investigation, charge sheet has been filed as against 18 persons. Petitioner is arrayed as accused no.15 in the charge sheet. Apprehending arrest in the said case, petitioner had approached the jurisdictional Sessions Court in Crl. Misc. No.81/2026 which was rejected on 18.02.2026. Therefore, he is before this Court. - 3 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:30704 CRL.P No. 6198 of 2026 4. A reading of the charge sheet would reveal that accused no.1 who was earlier working as a driver with CW-1 had conspired with the other accused persons to commit dacoity in the house of CW-1 and in furtherance of such conspiracy, the accused named in the charge sheet arrived near the house of CW-1 on 21.06.2024 and after gaining access to the house of CW-1, had committed the crime. 5. The allegation of entering the house of CW-1 is found in the charge sheet as against accused nos.5 to 7 and accused nos.12, 13, 15, 16, 17 & 18. It is alleged that when CW-1 had protested, accused no.6 had caught hold of him and accused no.16 had assaulted him with his hands. Some of the accused thereafter had tied the hands and legs of CW-1 and the petitioner along with accused nos.5, 12 and 13 forcibly took CW-2 inside the house and threatened them with dire consequences to their life, showing the deadly weapons which they were holding. The accused persons by threatening the inmates of the house, had committed robbery of gold jewellery, silver jewellery and also cash, and thereafter escaped in the vehicle in which they had arrived near the house of CW-1. - 4 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:30704 CRL.P No. 6198 of 2026 6. Petitioner herein who is arrayed as accused no.15 has played an active role in committing the heinous offence which is punishable with life imprisonment. Merely for the reason that investigation of the case is now completed, it cannot be said that petitioner's prayer for grant of anticipatory bail needs to be entertained. 7. Learned HCGP has brought to the notice of this Court that in the test identification parade, the victims have identified the accused persons. Some of the accused persons including the petitioner herein have been absconding and a split-up case is registered against them by the committal court. Considering the aforesaid aspects of the matter and the gravity of allegations found as against the petitioner who had played an active role in committing the crime, I am of the opinion that petitioner's prayer for grant of anticipatory bail cannot be entertained. Accordingly, petition is dismissed. Sd/- (S VISHWAJITH SHETTY) JUDGE KK