- 1 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:34502 CRL.P No. 7542 of 2026 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 8TH DAY OF JULY, 2026 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S VISHWAJITH SHETTY CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 7542 OF 2026 BETWEEN: SRI GAJENDRA AGED ABOUT 21 YEARS S/O RAMASWAMY R/AT NO.370 B.B ROAD SONNAPPANAHALLI BETTAHALASUR BENGALURU - 562 157. …PETITIONER (BY SRI SIDDHARTH SUMAN, ADV.) AND: 1. STATE OF KARNATAKA BY CHIKKAJALA P.S. REPRESENTED BY STATE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA HIGH COURT BUILDING BANGALORE - 560 001. 2. RADHIKA AGED ABOUT 38 YEARS W/O LATE SENDHIL KUMAR R/AT ANJANEYASWAMY TEMPLE TANGARAJU CAMP, VIDYANAGARA C ROSS, YELAHANKA BENGALURU.- 560 064. …RESPONDENTS (BY SRI RANGASWAMY R, HCGP FOR R-1; SRI SIRIVANTH B MANJUNATH ADV., FOR R-2) THIS CRL.P IS FILED U/S 439 CR.PC (FILED U/S 483 BNSS) PRAYING TO ENLARGE HIM ON REGULAR BAIL IN CR.NO.82/2026 OF CHIKKAJALA P.S. FOR THE OFFENCE P/U/S 137(2),64(2)(m) OF BNS Digitally signed by NANDINI M S Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA - 2 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:34502 CRL.P No. 7542 of 2026 AND SEC.4,5(1),6 OF POCSO ACT AND SEC.9 OF THE CHILD MARRIAGE PROHIBITION ACT. 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.82/2026 registered by Chikkajala Police Station, Bengaluru, for the offences punishable under Sections 137 (2) and 64(2)(m) of BNS, 2023, Sections 4, 5(l) and 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 and Section 9 of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, is before this Court in this petition filed under Section 483 of BNSS, 2023, seeking regular bail. 2. Heard the learned counsel for respondent No.1. Respondent No.2, who is served in the matter has remained unrepresented before this Court. 3. Victim girl, who is present along with her Advocate has filed an affidavit stating that she has no objection to allow the bail petition. 4. FIR in Crime No.82/2026 was registered by Chikkajala Police Station, Bengaluru, initially for the offence punishable - 3 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:34502 CRL.P No. 7542 of 2026 under Section 137(2) of BNS, 2023, against unknown person based on the first information dated 04.04.2026 received from respondent No.2, who is the mother of the alleged victim girl. In the said case, petitioner and victim were traced. Petitioner was arrested on 08.04.2026 and subsequently, remanded to judicial custody. His bail application filed before the Trial Court in Crl.Misc.No.4208/2026 was rejected on 19.05.2026. Therefore, he is before this Court. 5. FIR in the present case was registered against unknown person after the daughter of the first informant, who was aged 17 years was found missing from her house on 03.04.2026. Subsequently, petitioner and the victim girl, were traced. Petitioner aged 21 years was arrested on 08.04.2026 and remanded to judicial custody. Victim girl has appeared before the Court along with her Advocate and has filed an affidavit stating that she has now attained the age of 18 years and she has produced her Aadhaar Card, which shows that her date of birth is 23.06.2008. She has stated that she and the petitioner are in love and she had voluntarily left her parents' house and accompanied the petitioner out of her free will without there - 4 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:34502 CRL.P No. 7542 of 2026 being any undue influence. She has also stated that she is presently residing at the petitioner's residence and pendency of this criminal case has been causing immense hardship to her. Considering the aforesaid, I am of the opinion that the prayer made by the petitioner for grant of regular bail needs to be answered affirmatively. Accordingly, the following order:- 6. The petition is allowed. The petitioner is directed to be enlarged on bail in Crime No.82/2026 registered by Chikkajala Police Station, Bengaluru, for the offences punishable under Sections 137 (2) and 64(2)(m) of BNS, 2023, Sections 4, 5(l) and 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 and Section 9 of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, 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; 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; - 5 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:34502 CRL.P No. 7542 of 2026 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.: 67