- 1 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:33356 CRL.P No. 7296 of 2026 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 3RD DAY OF JULY, 2026 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S VISHWAJITH SHETTY CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 7296 OF 2026 BETWEEN: SRI GOPI REDDY KARTHIK REDDY UDUPI KARNATAKA S/O- GOPIREDDY RAM REDDY AGED ABOUT 23 YEARS PERMANENT ADDRESS - SRI. GOPI REDDY KARTHIK REDDY S/O- GOPIREDDY RAM REDDY AGED ABOUT 23 YEARS NO.1, KORAREDDY RAM REDDY UPPUNNUNTHALA, MAHABUBNAGAR TELENGANA - 509 376. …PETITIONER (BY SRI A.M. IKTEAR UDDIN, ADV., FOR SMT. AYANTIKA MONDAL, ADV.) AND: 1. STATE OF KARNATAKA BY WOMEN POLICE STATION UDUPI CITY (REPRESENTED BY LEARNED STATE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA BENGALURU - 560 001. 2. XXX …RESPONDENTS (BY SMT. RASHMI JADHAV, ADDL. SPP FOR R-1; SRI VISHNU P.V., ADV.) THIS CRL.P IS FILED U/S.439 (FILED U/S.483 BNSS) CR.P.C PRAYING TO ENLARGE THE PETITIONER ON BAIL IN CRIME NO.24/2026 OF UDUPI WOMEN NAGAR POLICE STATION UDUPI DISTRICT WHICH IS PENDING ON THE FILE OF THE LEARNED II ADDL SENIOR CIVIL JUDGE AND ACJM, UDUPI FOR THE OFFENCE P/US/ 375(a),376 OF IPC 1860. Digitally signed by NANDINI M S Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA - 2 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:33356 CRL.P No. 7296 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 in Crime No.24 of 2026 registered by Udupi Women Police Station, Udupi District for offence punishable under Sections 375(a) & 376 of 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.24 of 2026 was registered by Udupi Women Police Station, Udupi District for the aforesaid offences based on the first information dated 04.04.2026, received from the alleged victim aged 23 years. In the said case, petitioner herein was arrested on 05.04.2026 and remanded to judicial custody. His bail application filed before the jurisdictional Sessions Court in Crl.Misc.No.142 of 2026 was rejected on 14.05.2026. Therefore, he is before this Court. 4. Learned counsel for the petitioner having reiterated the grounds urged in the petition submits that, there is an - 3 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:33356 CRL.P No. 7296 of 2026 inordinate delay of more than two years in registering the FIR. The petitioner and the alleged victim were classmates and they were in love. For extraneous reasons, the present complaint is filed. He submits that, petitioner, who is a qualified engineer is in custody from 05.04.2026. Investigation of the case is already completed. Accordingly, he prays to allow the petition. 5. Per contra, learned Additional State Public Prosecutor and learned counsel appearing for respondent no.2/ victim have opposed the bail application. They submit that, serious allegations are found as against the petitioner, who has committed a heinous offence. 6. Learned counsel for respondent no.2 submits that, because of the trauma suffered by the victim for which she had taken continuous treatment there is a delay in approaching the police. He submits that, delay in approaching the police itself cannot be a ground for granting bail and in support of his arguments, he has placed reliance on the judgment of the Hon'ble Supreme Court in the case of BHAGWAN SINGH V. DILIP KUMAR AND ANOTHER - (2023) 13 SCC 549 and also in the case of SATPAL SINGH V. STATE OF HARYANA - - 4 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:33356 CRL.P No. 7296 of 2026 (2010) 8 SCC 714. Accordingly, he pray to dismiss the petition. 7. Perusal of the material on record would go to show that, the petitioner and victim girl were pursuing their engineering degree course at MIT in Manipal, Udupi District. In the first information itself, it is stated that the petitioner and the victim girl were in love and they were dating for a brief period of 2 months i.e., during July and August 2023. Allegation in the first information is that on 12.09.2023 when the victim girl had gone to the room of the petitioner, he allegedly had misbehaved with her and after pushing her to his bed, had forcible sexual intercourse with her against her wishes. In respect of the alleged incident that had taken place on 12.09.2023, first information is belatedly filed on 04.04.2026, which is after a lapse of more than two and a half years. 8. Material produced by the petitioner before this Court would prima facie go to show that, even after the alleged incident had taken place the petitioner and the victim were in touch with each other. It is not in dispute that the petitioner - 5 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:33356 CRL.P No. 7296 of 2026 and the victim girl have now completed their engineering degree course and are employed. 9. Material on record would also go to show that, prior to approaching the police, the victim girl had approached National Commission for Women in the month of December 2025. It is only after the commission had referred the said complaint to the police, it appears that present FIR was registered against the petitioner herein for the aforesaid offences, after receiving a formal complaint from the victim. Investigation of the case is now completed and charge sheet has been filed. 10. In the case of BHAGWAN SINGH (supra), the victim girl was a minor, aged 15 years and it was a case of gang rape in which the complainant was her uncle. It is under these circumstances, in the said case, the Hon'ble Supreme Court has observed that delay in approaching the police cannot be a ground for granting bail. The judgment in the case of SATPAL SINGH (supra) has been rendered by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in an appeal filed by the accused, as against the judgment and order of conviction passed against him for - 6 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:33356 CRL.P No. 7296 of 2026 offence punishable under Section 376 of IPC. Therefore, the judgments on which reliance has been placed by the learned counsel for respondent no.2 / victim cannot be made applicable to the facts and circumstances of the present case. Under the circumstances, I am of the opinion that prayer made by the petitioner for grant of regular bail needs to be answered affirmatively subject to appropriate conditions. 11. Accordingly, the following:- ORDER Criminal petition is allowed. The petitioner is directed to be enlarged on bail in Crime No.24 of 2026 registered by Udupi Women Police Station, Udupi District for offence punishable under Sections 375(a) & 376 of IPC, 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 - 7 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:33356 CRL.P No. 7296 of 2026 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. Sd/- (S VISHWAJITH SHETTY) JUDGE NMS List No.: 1 Sl No.: 59