- 1 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:35920 CRL.P No. 8588 of 2026 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 14TH DAY OF JULY, 2026 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S VISHWAJITH SHETTY CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 8588 OF 2026 BETWEEN: SRI YASHWANTA GOWDA @ YASHWANTH M.P S/O PUTTARAMU M.N AGED ABOUT 35 YEARS R/AT NO 465, 15 D CROSS 2ND STAGE, 2ND PHASE NEAR NANDINI THEATRE MAHALAKSHMIPURAM BENGALURU NORTH BENGALURU - 560 086. …PETITIONER (BY SRI PUTTAMALLA, ADV.) AND: THE STATE OF KARNATAKA BY COTTENPETE POLICE REPRESENTED BY STATE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR, HIGH COURT COMPLEX BENGALURU - 560 009. …RESPONDENT (BY SRI VINAY MAHADEVAIAH, HCGP) THIS CRL.P IS FILED U/S 438 CR.P.C (U/S 482 BNSS) PRAYING TO DIRECT THE RESPONDENT POLICE TO RELEASE HIM ON BAIL IN THE EVENT OF HIS ARREST IN CR.NO.166/2025 REGISTERED BY COTTONPET P.S., BENGALURU CITY, PENDING BEFORE THE ACJM, BENGALURU, FOR THE OFFENCES P/U/S 61,118,324,352,351 OF BNS, BY ALLOWING THIS PETITION. THIS PETITION, COMING ON FOR ORDERS, THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER: CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S VISHWAJITH SHETTY Digitally signed by NANDINI M S Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA - 2 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:35920 CRL.P No. 8588 of 2026 ORAL ORDER 1. Accused no.3 in Crime No.166/2025 registered by Cottonpet Police Station, Bengaluru City, for the offences punishable under Sections 61, 118, 324, 352, 351 of BNS, 2023, 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.166/2025 was registered by Cottonpet Police Station, Bengaluru City, for the aforesaid offences against Venkateshappa and three others after a private complaint filed by the defacto complainant S.Babu S/o G.Sahadevan before the jurisdictional Court of Magistrate, Bengaluru, was referred to the jurisdictional police station for the purpose of investigation. Apprehending arrest in the said case, petitioner who is arrayed as accused no.3 in the FIR had filed Crl. Misc. No.5249/2026 before the jurisdictional Sessions, which was rejected on 09.06.2026. Therefore, he is before this Court. - 3 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:35920 CRL.P No. 8588 of 2026 4. Perusal of the private complaint filed in PCR.No.11042/2025 before the jurisdictional Court of Magistrate, Bengaluru, would go to show that the defacto complainant is a businessman in Chennai and he had met the accused persons at Bengaluru on 15.12.2025. It is alleged that the accused persons had induced him to invest in online trading and accordingly, he had initially paid a sum of Rs.30 lakhs through bank transaction to accused no.1 - Venkateshappa. Subsequently, at the request of accused no.1, he had further paid a sum of Rs.37 lakhs to Venkateshappa and thereby totally a sum of Rs.67 lakhs was paid by the complainant to the account of accused no.1 - Venkateshappa. The accused persons who had promised high returns to the complainant, had failed to pay the returns or the amount invested by him for the purpose of business. It is under these circumstances, the private complaint is filed. 5. As per the complaint allegations, the amount has been paid by the complainant to accused no.1 and the allegation as against the petitioner is that he was present along with accused no.1 when he had met the complainant. The submission made - 4 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:35920 CRL.P No. 8588 of 2026 by the learned Counsel for the petitioner that petitioner does not have any criminal antecedents is not seriously disputed by the learned HCGP. The alleged offences are triable by the Court of Magistrate and the maximum punishment for the alleged offences is imprisonment for a period of seven years. Petitioner has undertaken to co-operate with the police for the purpose of investigation. Under the circumstances, I am of the opinion that petitioner's prayer for grant of anticipatory bail is required to be answered affirmatively. Accordingly, the following order: 6. The petition is allowed. The respondent - Police or any other police in the State of Karnataka are directed to release the petitioner in the event of his arrest in Crime No.166/2025 registered by Cottonpet Police Station, Bengaluru City, for the offences punishable under Sections 61, 118, 324, 352, 351 of BNS, 2023, subject to the following conditions: 1. The Petitioner shall appear before the Investigating Officer within 15 days from the date of receipt of the copy of this order and shall execute a personal bond for a sum of Rs.1,00,000/- with two sureties for the likesum to the satisfaction of the investigating officer. - 5 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:35920 CRL.P No. 8588 of 2026 2. Petitioner shall regularly appear before the Trial Court without fail unless exempted by the Trial Court for valid reasons. 3. Petitioner shall not tamper with the prosecution witness and he shall co-operate with the police for investigation and appear before them whenever called upon. 4. The petitioner shall not involve in similar offences in future. Sd/- (S VISHWAJITH SHETTY) JUDGE KK