- 1 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:34096 CRL.P No. 7442 of 2026 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 7TH DAY OF JULY, 2026 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S VISHWAJITH SHETTY CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 7442 OF 2026 BETWEEN: SRI ANIRUDHI PRADHAN S/O SRI PRANABANDHA AGED ABOUT 33 YEARS R/AT KURGAL GATE, VEMAGAL HOBLI, KOLAR - 563 102 PERMANENT ADDRESS BANGARSING VILLAGE AND POST BADANBA TALUK, CUTTACK, ORISSA. …PETITIONER (BY SRI ABHILASH KUMAR M.N, ADV., FOR SRI NANJUNDA GOWDA M.R, ADV.) AND: THE STATE OF KARNATAKA BY VEMAGAL POLICE REPRESENTED BY STATE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR HIGH COURT BUILDING DR. AMBEDKER VEEDHI BENGALURU - 560 001. …RESPONDENT (BY SRI RANGASWAMY R, HCGP) THIS CRL.P IS FILED U/S 439 CR.PC (FILED U/S 483 BNNS) PRAYING TO ENLARGE HIM ON BAIL IN S.C NO.62/2026 ARISING OUT OF CRIME NO.246/2025 OF VEMAGAL POLICE STATION AGAINST THE PETITIONER FOR THE OFFENCES PUNISHABLE UNDER SECTIONS 103(1), 61(2)(a), 238(a), 3(5) OF BNS NOW PENDING ON THE FILE OF THE I ADDL. DISTRICT AND SESSIONS JUDGE KOLAR. 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:34096 CRL.P No. 7442 of 2026 CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S VISHWAJITH SHETTY ORAL ORDER 1. Accused No.3 in SC No.62/2026 pending before the Court of I Addl. District and Sessions Judge, Kolar, arising out of Crime No.246/2025 registered by Vemagal Police Station, Kolar, for the offences punishable under Sections 103(1), 61(2)(a), 238(a) and 3(5) 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.246/2025 was registered by Vemagal Police Station, Kolar, for the aforesaid offences against one Manoj Odeyar and two others based on the first information dated 26.12.2025, received from Narayanaswamy S B, police officer attached to Vemagal Police Station, Kolar. In the said case, petitioner was arrested on 26.12.2025 and remanded to judicial custody. After completing investigation, charge sheet has been filed against three persons and petitioner is arraigned as accused No.3 in the charge sheet. His bail application filed - 3 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:34096 CRL.P No. 7442 of 2026 before the jurisdictional Sessions Court in Crl.Misc.No.289/2026 was rejected on 02.05.2026. Therefore, he is before this Court. 4. Perusal of the material on record would go to show that accused persons and the deceased Sandeep Kumar Singh were all friends. On 25.12.2025 at about 06.30 p.m. accused Nos.1, 3 and deceased Sandeep Kumar Singh were consuming alcohol in the premises belonging to CW4 Naveen. Subsequently, they had gone out and were consuming alcohol near the hotel of CW5 - Satish. At about 10.30 pm, accused No.2, who was working as a cook in the hotel, also joined accused Nos.1, 3 and Sandeep Kumar Singh to consume alcohol. It appears that at about 11.15 p.m. Sandeep Kumar Singh had abused accused No.2 - Raja Reddy and also spoke ill of Kannada language. Therefore, accused No.3 allegedly had instigated accused Nos.1 and 2 to assault Sandeep Kumar Singh and commit his murder. Accused No.2 Raja Reddy thereafter took out a knife and assaulted Sandeep Kumar Singh on his neck and caused injuries. Subsequently, accused Nos.1 and 2 tried shifting injured Sandeep Kumar Singh in a two wheeler to a Hospital. It is alleged that on the way to the Hospital, injured Sandeep - 4 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:34096 CRL.P No. 7442 of 2026 Kumar Singh stated that if he comes out alive, he would teach a lesson to accused Nos.1 and 2. Therefore, on the way to the Hospital, accused Nos.1 and 2 had assaulted Sandeep Kumar Singh with a knife and committed his murder. 5. The allegation as against the petitioner herein is that he had instigated accused Nos.1 and 2 to assault Sandeep Kumar Singh and commit his murder. In the first incident that had taken place at about 11.15 p.m. on 25.12.2025, after the petitioner had instigated accused Nos.1 and 2, accused No.2 had assaulted Sandeep Kumar Singh with a knife on his neck and had caused injuries. Subsequently, when accused Nos.1 and 2 were shifting injured Sandeep Kumar Singh in a two wheeler for the purpose of admitting him in a Hospital, on the way to the Hospital, since, Sandeep Kumar Singh had threatened of dire consequences to the life of accused Nos.1 and 2, in the event he comes out alive, accused Nos.1 and 2 had assaulted him with a knife and committed his murder. 6. In the second incident that had taken place on the way to the Hospital, in which accused Nos.1 and 2 had assaulted Sandeep Kumar Singh, petitioner was not present. It is not in - 5 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:34096 CRL.P No. 7442 of 2026 dispute that petitioner has no other criminal antecedents. He is in custody in the present case from 26.12.2025. The only allegation against the petitioner is about instigating accused Nos.1 and 2 and there is no allegation against him about assaulting the deceased either in the first incident or in the second incident that had taken place on the night of 25.12.2025. Under the circumstances, I am of the opinion that petitioner's prayer for grant of regular bail needs to be answered affirmatively subject to appropriate conditions. Accordingly, the following order:- 7. The petition is allowed. The petitioner is directed to be enlarged on bail in SC No.62/2026 pending before the Court of I Addl. District and Sessions Judge, Kolar, arising out of Crime No.246/2025 registered by Vemagal Police Station, Kolar, for the offences punishable under Sections 103(1), 61(2)(a), 238(a) and 3(5) of BNS, 2023, subject to the following conditions: a) Petitioner shall execute a personal bond for a sum of Rs.1,00,000/- with two sureties for the likesum, to the satisfaction of the jurisdictional Court; - 6 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:34096 CRL.P No. 7442 of 2026 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; 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 DN List No.: 1 Sl No.: 80