- 1 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010383752026 NC: 2026:KHC:37612 CRL.P No. 8110 of 2026 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 21ST DAY OF JULY, 2026 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S VISHWAJITH SHETTY CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 8110 OF 2026 BETWEEN: MANJUNATHA S/O RACHAPPA AGED ABOUT 27 YEARS, RESIDING AT: TALAGAVARA VILLAGE, CHINTAMANI TALUK CHIKKABALLAPURA DISTRICT-563125 (PETITIONER IN JUDICIAL CUSTODY) …PETITIONER (BY SRI. GIRISH R., ADVOCATE) AND: STATE OF KARNATAKA BY CHINTAMANI RURAL PS NOW REPRESENTED BY STATE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR, HIGH COURT BUILDING, BENGALURU - 560 001. …RESPONDENT (BY SMT. RASHMI JADHAV, ASPP) THIS CRL.P IS FILED U/S 439 CR.P.C (U/S 483 BNSS) PRAYING TO PASS AN ORDER GRANTING BAIL THEREBY DIRECTING THE RESPONDENT CHINTAMANI RURAL POLICE TO RELEASE THE PETITIONER/ACCUSED NO.2 IN SC.NO.61/2025 IN CR.NO.231/2025, PENDING BEFORE THE HONBLE II ADDL. Digitally signed by NANDINI M S Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA - 2 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010383752026 NC: 2026:KHC:37612 CRL.P No. 8110 of 2026 DISTRICT AND SESSIONS JUDGE, AT CHIKKABALLAPURA, SITTING AT CHINTAMANI, FOR THE OFFENCES P/U/S 103(1), 238, 61(2)(A), 318(4), 326(F), 3(5) OF BNS, 2023. THIS CRL.P, 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.2 in SC No.61/2025 pending before the Court of II Additional District and Sessions Judge, Chikkaballapura, sitting at Chintamani, arising out of Crime No.231/2025 registered by Chintamani Rural Police Station, Chikkaballapura, for the offences punishable under Sections 103(1), 238, 61(2)(a), 318(4), 326(f) 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.231/2025 was registered by Chintamani Rural Police Station, Chikkaballapura, initially for the offences punishable under Sections 103(1) and 238 of BNS, 2023, against an unknown persons based on the first information - 3 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010383752026 NC: 2026:KHC:37612 CRL.P No. 8110 of 2026 dated 23.06.2025, received from Veeranna, who had found a dead body of an unknown male within the jurisdiction of Chintamani Rural Police Station. During the course of investigation, petitioner herein was arrested on 28.06.2025. After completing investigation, charge sheet is filed against three persons. Bail application filed by him before the Trial Court in SC No.61/2025 was rejected on 08.05.2026. Therefore, he is before this Court. 4. FIR in the present case was registered against unknown persons after the dead body of an unknown male was found within the jurisdiction of Chintamani Rural Police Station, Chikkaballapura. Initially, a UDR case was registered and during the course of investigation, accused persons were arrested and based on their confession statement, charge sheet has been filed against them. The entire case of the prosecution is based on circumstantial evidence. As per the charge sheet allegations, accused No.1 had induced deceased Ramanji S/o late Shivappa, to pay him money with an assurance that he would provide a job to him at London. In the charge sheet, it is alleged that accused No.1 had altogether received a sum of - 4 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010383752026 NC: 2026:KHC:37612 CRL.P No. 8110 of 2026 Rs.4,00,000/- from Ramanji and since he had not provided him a job at London as assured, Ramanji was pestering him to repay the money. 5. It is in this background, accused No.1 had conspired with accused No.2 to commit the murder of Ramanji and on the alleged date of incident, accused Nos.1 to 3 took Ramanji in a car and thereafter, strangulated his neck and committed his murder. Petitioner, who is a person without any criminal antecedents is in custody for the last nearly one year. Except accused No.1, other accused had no motive to commit the murder of Ramanji. The case of the prosecution is entirely based on circumstantial evidence. The allegations now made in the charge sheet are required to be proved in a full fledged trial against the accused persons. Accused No.3 has been granted regular bail by this Court in Crl.P.No.5887/2026. Under the circumstances, 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:- - 5 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010383752026 NC: 2026:KHC:37612 CRL.P No. 8110 of 2026 6. The petition is allowed. The petitioner is directed to be enlarged on bail in SC No.61/2025 pending before the Court of II Additional District and Sessions Judge, Chikkaballapura, sitting at Chintamani, arising out of Crime No.231/2025 registered by Chintamani Rural Police Station, Chikkaballapura, for the offences punishable under Sections 103(1), 238, 61(2)(a), 318(4), 326(f) 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; 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; - 6 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010383752026 NC: 2026:KHC:37612 CRL.P No. 8110 of 2026 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.: 66