- 1 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010386892026 NC: 2026:KHC:37159 CRL.P No. 8085 of 2026 C/W CRL.P No. 8147 of 2026 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 20TH DAY OF JULY, 2026 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S VISHWAJITH SHETTY CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 8085 OF 2026 C/W CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 8147 OF 2026 IN CRL.P No. 8085/2026: BETWEEN: 1. SMT. RENUKA DONNUR W/O BASAVARA DYAMANNAVAR AGE 59 YEARS R/O NO.2113, HOSPETE ONI WARD NO.15, SAVADATTI BELAGAVI DISTRICT - 591 126. 2. SMT. AKSHATHA SANKADAL W/O SHANKARANANAD AGE 30 YRS R/O HOOLI VILLAGE, SAVADATTI TALUK BELAGAVI DISTRICT - 591 126. 3. SHRI SHANKARANAND SANKADAL S/O VEERABHADRAPPA AGE 36 YEARS, R/O HOOLI VILLAGE SAVADATTI TALUK, BELAGAVI DISTRICT - 573 218. …PETITIONERS (BY SRI ARUNASYAM, SR. ADV., FOR SRI IRANAGOUDA K KABBUR, ADV.) AND: 1. THE STATE OF KARNATAKA BY YESHWANTPUR P.S R/BY STATE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR STATION, BANGALORE - 560 001. Digitally signed by NANDINI M S Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA - 2 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010386892026 NC: 2026:KHC:37159 CRL.P No. 8085 of 2026 C/W CRL.P No. 8147 of 2026 2. JAYASHREE W/O RAVI V AGED ABOUT 30 YEARS R/A NO.3, 2ND FLOOR BHAIRAVESHWARA NILAYA VENKATARAMANAPPA GARDE YESHWANTHAPURA BENGALURU - 560 022. …RESPONDENTS (BY SRI VINAY MAHADEVIAH, HCGP FOR R-1; SRI CHETHAN B ANGADI, ADV., FOR SRI RAVIREDDY S.D, ADV.) THIS CRL.P IS FILED U/S 438 CR.PC (FILED U/S 482 BNSS) PRAYING TO ALLOW THE PETITION AND THE PETITIONERS MAY PLEASE BE RELEASED ON ANTICIPATORY BAIL, CR.NO.140/2026 OF YESHWANTPURA POLICE STATION, PENDING BEFORE LRD. XLIX ADDL. CJM, (ACJM) BENGALURU FOR THE OFFENCES P/U/S 318(4), 336(3), 340(2), 351(3), 61(2), R/W 3(5) OF THE BNS. IN CRL.P NO. 8147/2026: BETWEEN: SMT. SHRILAXMI SANKALDAL W/O MAHESH AGE 31 YEARS R/O HOOLI VILLAGE SAVADATTI TALUK BELAGAVI DISTRICT - 591 126. …PETITIONER (BY SRI ARUNASHYAM, SR. ADV., FOR SRI IRANAGOUDA K KABBUR, ADV.) AND: 1. THE STATE OF KARNATAKA R/BY STATE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR THROUGH YESHWANTHAPURA POLICE STATION, BANGALORE - 560 001. - 3 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010386892026 NC: 2026:KHC:37159 CRL.P No. 8085 of 2026 C/W CRL.P No. 8147 of 2026 2. JAYASHREE W/O RAVI V AGED ABOUT 30 YEARS R/A NO.3, 2ND FLOOR BHAIRAVESHWARA NILAYA VENKATARAMANAPPA GARDE YESHWANTHAPURA BENGALURU - 560 022. …RESPONDENTS (BY SRIVINAY MAHADEVAIAH, HCGP FOR R-1; SRI CHETHAN B ANGADI, ADV., SRI RAVIREDDY S.D, ADV., FOR R-2) THIS CRL.P IS FILED U/S 438 CR.P.C (U/S 482 BNSS) PRAYING TO ALLOW AND THE PETITIONER MAY BE PLEASED TO RELEASE ON ANTICIPATORY BAIL ARISING OUT OF CR.NO.140/2026 REGISTERED BY YESHWANTHPURA P.S., PENDING BEFORE THE LEARNED XLIX ACJM, BENGALURU, FOR THE OFFENCES P/U/S 318(4),336(3),340(2),351(3),61(2) R/W 3(5) OF BNS, 2023. THESE PETITIONS, COMING ON FOR ORDERS, THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER: CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S VISHWAJITH SHETTY ORAL ORDER 1. Accused Nos.2, 3, 5 and 6 in Crime No.140/2026 registered by Yeshwanthapura Police Station, Bengaluru, for the offences punishable under Sections 318(4), 336(3), 340(2), 351(3), 61(2) read with Section 3(5) of BNS, 2023, are before - 4 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010386892026 NC: 2026:KHC:37159 CRL.P No. 8085 of 2026 C/W CRL.P No. 8147 of 2026 this Court in these two petitions filed under Section 482 of BNSS, 2023, seeking anticipatory bail. 2. Heard the learned counsel for the parties. 3. FIR in Crime No.140/2026 was registered by Yeshwanthapura Police Station, Bengaluru, for the aforesaid offences against one Mahesh V. Sankdal and others based on the first information dated 01.05.2026 received from the alleged victim Smt. Jayashree, aged 30 years. Apprehending arrest in the said case, petitioners had filed Crl.Misc.Nos.5213/2026 and 5214/2026 before the jurisdictional Court of Sessions Judge, which was rejected on 06.06.2026. Therefore, they are before this Court in these two petitions. 4. Learned Senior Counsel appearing for the petitioners submits that entire allegations in the first information is as against accused No.1, who is now arrested on 10.07.2026. Accused No.2 is the wife of accused No.1 and accused No.3 is the mother-in-law of accused No.1. Accused Nos.5 and 6 are the brother and sister-in-law of accused No.1. Only for the - 5 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010386892026 NC: 2026:KHC:37159 CRL.P No. 8085 of 2026 C/W CRL.P No. 8147 of 2026 reason that they are the relatives of accused No.1, they have been falsely implicated in the present case, to arm twist them. They do not have any criminal antecedents and they are ready and willing to co-operate with the police for the purpose of investigation. Accordingly, he prays to allow the petitions. 5. Per contra, learned HCGP for respondent-State and learned counsel for respondent No.2/defacto complainant have opposed the petitions. They submit that investigation of the case is under progress and petitioners have not co-operated with the police for the purpose of investigation. They also submit that accused Nos.2 and 3 have repeatedly contacted the first informant over phone and have made demand for payment of money and they had induced the first informant to deposit money in the bank account of accused No.1. Accordingly, they pray to dismiss the petitions. 6. In the typed first information dated 01.05.2026 submitted by the victim lady aged 30 years, it is alleged that on a false assurance of providing job in a reputed IT company, accused persons had induced the victim lady to pay them an amount of - 6 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010386892026 NC: 2026:KHC:37159 CRL.P No. 8085 of 2026 C/W CRL.P No. 8147 of 2026 Rs.40,00,000/-. It is alleged that when the victim lady demanded repayment of the said amount, accused persons allegedly had criminally intimidated her. Perusal of the first information would go to show that victim lady allegedly has paid money to accused persons from 03.06.2024 onwards. It appears that major portion of the amount has been deposited by the first informant to the bank account of accused No.1, who is now arrested on 10.07.2026. Though, it is alleged in the first information that to the account of accused No.2, a sum of Rs.2,00,000/- was transferred through phone pay, learned Senior Counsel for the petitioners after producing the bank account statement of accused No.2 has submitted that only a sum of Rs.26,000/- was transferred to her bank account. He further submitted that a sum of Rs.1,45,000/- was transferred from the bank account of accused No.2 to the bank account of the first informant. Learned counsel for respondent No.2 however, submits that total amount paid to the bank account of accused No.2 is Rs.2,00,000/- and not Rs.26,000/-. 7. Be that as it may, the fact remains that major portion of the amount was paid to the account of accused No.1. It is not - 7 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010386892026 NC: 2026:KHC:37159 CRL.P No. 8085 of 2026 C/W CRL.P No. 8147 of 2026 in dispute that, no amount has been paid to the bank account of accused Nos.3, 5 and 6 in the present case. Even if it is found that certain amounts were transferred to the bank account of accused No.2, it could be at the instructions of accused No.1, who is none other than her husband. Undisputedly, accused Nos.2, 3, 5 and 6 do not have any criminal antecedents. Accused Nos.2, 3 and 5 are married ladies. They have undertaken to co-operate with the police for the purpose of investigation. The alleged offences are triable by the Court of Magistrate and the maximum punishment for the same is imprisonment for a period of seven years. Under the circumstances, I am of the opinion that the prayer made by the petitioners for grant of anticipatory bail needs to be answered affirmatively, subject to appropriate conditions. Accordingly, the following order:- 8. The petitions are allowed. The respondent - Police or any other police in the State of Karnataka are directed to release the petitioners in the event of their arrest in Crime No.140/2026 registered by Yeshwanthapura Police Station, Bengaluru, for the offences punishable under Sections 318(4), - 8 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010386892026 NC: 2026:KHC:37159 CRL.P No. 8085 of 2026 C/W CRL.P No. 8147 of 2026 336(3), 340(2), 351(3), 61(2) read with Section 3(5) of BNS, 2023, subject to the following conditions: 1. Petitioners shall appear before the Investigation Officer on 25.07.2026 at 10.30 a.m. and on the said date, the Investigation Officer shall be at liberty to take them into custody, if necessary, for the purpose of interrogation. However, it is made clear that after interrogation, Investigation Officer shall release the petitioners on the same day on or before 06.00 p.m. subject to petitioners executing a personal bond for a sum of Rs.2,00,000/- each with one surety for the likesum to the satisfaction of the Investigating Officer; 2. Petitioners shall regularly appear before the Trial Court without fail unless exempted by the Trial Court for valid reasons. 3. Petitioners shall not tamper with the prosecution witnesses and they shall co-operate with the police for investigation and appear before them whenever called upon. 4. The petitioners shall not involve in similar offences in future. - 9 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010386892026 NC: 2026:KHC:37159 CRL.P No. 8085 of 2026 C/W CRL.P No. 8147 of 2026 5. Petitioners are directed to furnish their correct address and mobile phone numbers to the Investigation Officer. Sd/- (S VISHWAJITH SHETTY) JUDGE DN List No.: 1 Sl No.: 73