- 1 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:34306 CRL.P No. 7318 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. 7318 OF 2026 BETWEEN: TUMMALA MANOJ KUMAR (A1) AGED ABOUT 33 YEARS, RESIDING AT NO.111, 1ST FLOOR, A BLOCK, S S SIGNATURE APARTMENT COCONUT GARDEN, AYYAPPA NAGARA K R PURAM, BENGALURU - 560036 …PETITIONER (BY SRI. BHADRAVADI SIDDESWARA., ADVOCATE) AND: THE STATE OF KARNATAKA BY K R PURAM POLICE STATION BANGALORE REPRESENTED BY SPP, HIGH COURT PREMISES, BANGALORE - 01 …RESPONDENT (BY SRI. VINAY MAHADEVAIAH, HCGP) THIS CRL.P IS FILED U/S.439 (FILED U/S.483 BNSS) CR.P.C PRAYING TO ENLARGE THE PETITIONER/ACCUSED NO.1 ON BAIL IN CRIME NO.147/2026 REGISTERED BY K.R.PURAM Digitally signed by NIRMALA DEVI Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA - 2 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:34306 CRL.P No. 7318 of 2026 POLICE STATION FOR THE OFFENCE P/US/ 80(2), 85 R/W SEC.3(5) OF BNS, 2023 AND SEC.3 AND 4 OF DP ACT WHICH IS NOW PENDING BEFORE THE HONBLE 29TH ACMM COURT MAYO HALL BENGALURU CITY. 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 No.1 in Crime No.147/2026 registered by K.R.Puram Police Station, Bengaluru, for the offences punishable under Sections 80(2), 85 read with 3(5) of BNS, 2023 and Sections 3 and 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961, 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.147/2026 was registered by K.R.Puram Police Station, Bengaluru, for the aforesaid offences against the petitioner and his family members, based on the first information dated 03.03.2026 received from G.Padmavathi, mother of the deceased - G.Nagalasya, who was the wife of the - 3 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:34306 CRL.P No. 7318 of 2026 petitioner herein. In the said case, the petitioner was arrested on 03.03.2026 and subsequently remanded to judicial custody. After completing the investigation, charge sheet has been filed against five persons and petitioner is arrayed as accused No.1 in the charge sheet. His bail application filed before the jurisdictional Sessions Court in Crl.Misc.2488/2026 was rejected on 25.04.2026. Therefore, he is before this Court. 4. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the marriage of the petitioner with the deceased was a love marriage. The petitioner is an MBA graduate, who is working in a multinational financing company, whereas the deceased was a software engineer, who was also employed. From the wedlock, they have a minor son aged 2 years. The allegation in the first information as well as in the charge sheet is that, the deceased was being ill-treated and tortured in her matrimonial house in furtherance of demand for dowry. Such allegation cannot be prima facie believed for the reason that the marriage of the petitioner and the deceased was a love marriage. Accordingly, he prays to allow the petition. - 4 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:34306 CRL.P No. 7318 of 2026 5. Per contra, learned HCGP, who has opposed the petition submits that the deceased had suffered external injury on her body as could be seen from her post mortem report. The allegation against the petitioner and his family members is that they had physically and mentally tortured the deceased in her matrimonial house. Accordingly, he prays to dismiss the petition. 6. A perusal of the material on record would go to show that the petitioner and the deceased - G.Nagalasya loved each other and subsequently, with the consent of the elders and relatives of both the families, they got married on 26.01.2023 at Nellore Town, Andra Pradesh. Subsequent to the marriage, the petitioner and his wife had settled in Bengaluru and from the wedlock, they have a son aged about 2 years. Though in the first information it is alleged that accused Nos.2 to 5, who are the family members of accused No.1 were physically and mentally ill-treating the deceased in furtherance of demand for dowry, the charge sheet material would reveal that it was only accused No.1 and his wife, who were staying in a rented house - 5 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:34306 CRL.P No. 7318 of 2026 at Bengaluru and accused Nos.2 to 5 were not staying with them in the said house. 7. 7. As rightly contented by the learned counsel for the petitioner, since the marriage between the petitioner and the deceased is a love marriage, the allegation that the demand was made for payment of dowry at the time of marriage and even after marriage there was a further demand for payment of dowry becomes difficult to be believed. The post mortem report of the deceased would go to show that she had suffered minor injury on her lips, which would prima facie suggest that the petitioner and his wife had fought immediately prior to the date of incident, in which the deceased had committed suicide. 8. The material on record would go to show that immediately after the incident had taken place, it was the petitioner, who had shifted his wife to a private hospital at K.R.Puram and she was admitted in the hospital. However, while undergoing treatment in the hospital, she had died at about 02.57 a.m., on 03.03.2026. The petitioner, who is an MBA graduate working in a multinational company is in custody from 03.03.2026. Investigation of the case is already - 6 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:34306 CRL.P No. 7318 of 2026 completed. He is required to take care of his minor son aged 2 years. 9. Under the said circumstances, I am of the opinion that the prayer made by the petitioner for grant of regular bail needs to be answered affirmatively subject to appropriate conditions. Accordingly, the following: The petition is allowed. The petitioner is directed to be enlarged on bail in Crime No.147/2026 registered by K.R.Puram Police Station, Bengaluru, for the offences punishable under Sections 80(2), 85 read with 3(5) of BNS, 2023 and Sections 3 and 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961, subject to the following conditions: a) Petitioner shall execute 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; c) The petitioner shall not directly or indirectly threaten or tamper with the prosecution witnesses; - 7 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:34306 CRL.P No. 7318 of 2026 d) The petitioner shall not involve in similar offences in future. Sd/- (S VISHWAJITH SHETTY) JUDGE ND/List No.: 1 Sl No.: 56