- 1 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010368612026 NC: 2026:KHC:37823 CRL.P No. 7768 of 2026 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 22ND DAY OF JULY, 2026 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S VISHWAJITH SHETTY CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 7768 OF 2026 BETWEEN: SRI. MANOHARA S/O. SOMACHANDRAPPA AGED ABOUT 32 YEARS R/AT. NO.51, 5TH CROSS, KSRP QUARTERS, BENGALURU - 560 034 …PETITIONER (BY SRI. MUNIGANGAPPA M., ADVOCATE) AND: THE STATE OF KARNATAKA BY KAGGALIPURA POLICE STATION, REPT. BY THE STATE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR, HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA, BENGALURU - 560 001. …RESPONDENT (BY SRI. RANGASWAMY .R., HCGP) THIS CRL.P IS FILED U/S 439 CR.PC (FILED U/S 483 BNSS) PRAYING TO ALLOW THIS BAIL PETITION, ENLARGING TO THE PETITIONER/ACCUSED NO.3 IN S.C NO.276/2025 AND CR.NO.123/2025 REGISTERED BY RESPONDENT KAGGALIPURA P.S FOR THE ALLEGED OFFENCES PUNISHABLE UNDER SECTION 140(1), 140(2), 142, 311 OF BHARATHIYA NYAYA SANHITHA (BNS) ACT. REGISTERED BY THE RESPONDENT Digitally signed by NANDINI M S Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA - 2 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010368612026 NC: 2026:KHC:37823 CRL.P No. 7768 of 2026 POLICE, NOW PENDING BEFORE THE HONORABLE LEARNED PRINCIPAL DISTRICT AND SESSIONS JUDGE BANGALORE RURAL DISTRICT AT BANGALORE AND ALLOW THIS PETITION. 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.3 in S.C.No.276 of 2025 pending before the Court of Principal District and Sessions Judge, Bengaluru Rural District, arising out of Crime No.123 of 2025 registered by Kaggalipura Police Station, Ramanagara for offences punishable under Sections 140(1), 140(2), 142 and 311 of BNS, 2023 is before this Court in this successive bail application filed under Section 483 of BNSS, 2023 seeking regular bail. 2. Heard the learned counsel for the parties. 3. FIR in Crime No.123 of 2025 was registered by Kaggalipura Police Station, Ramanagara initially for the offences punishable under Sections 140(1), 140(2) and 142 of BNS, 2023 against Narasimha Reddy and others, based on the - 3 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010368612026 NC: 2026:KHC:37823 CRL.P No. 7768 of 2026 first information dated 08.04.2025 received from Smt. Kavitha, wife of Rajshekhar. During the course of investigation of the said case, petitioner was arrested on 08.04.2025 and remanded to judicial custody. After completing investigation, charge sheet has been filed against four persons. Bail application filed by the petitioner before the jurisdictional trial court was rejected and therefore, he had earlier approached this Court in Criminal Petition No.12401 of 2025 which was rejected on 24.10.2025. Subsequently, the petitioner had filed a fresh bail application before the trial Court in S.C.No.276 of 2025 which was rejected on 02.05.2026. It is under these circumstances, petitioner is before this Court. 4. Learned counsel for the petitioner having reiterated the grounds urged in the petition submits that petitioner is in custody in the present case for the last more than one year. The only other criminal case registered against him was in the year 2015. Petitioner's father is seriously injured and he is hospitalized. There is nobody to take care of the ailing father of the petitioner. Accordingly, he prays to allow the petition. - 4 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010368612026 NC: 2026:KHC:37823 CRL.P No. 7768 of 2026 5. Per contra, learned HCGP has opposed the petition. He submits that the father of the petitioner who was admitted in the hospital has been now discharged and advised bed rest. The allegation made against the petitioner in the charge sheet are of serious nature. Accordingly, he prays to dismiss the petition. 6. First information in the present case is filed against Narasimha Reddy and others. In the first information, it is stated that accused no.1, who is named in the FIR, is the brother of the victim's friend and victim was kidnapped allegedly because of the ill-will between the parties. During the course of investigation, accused named in the FIR and other accused persons including the petitioner were arrested. In the charge sheet which is filed, after completing investigation, it is alleged that accused no.1 who is a person with criminal antecedents had conspired with the other accused persons to kidnap the victim and demand money from his family members. - 5 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010368612026 NC: 2026:KHC:37823 CRL.P No. 7768 of 2026 7. According to the prosecution, on 07.04.2025, accused persons who came near the house of the victim had allegedly kidnapped him when he came out of his house and thereafter, demanded a sum of Rs. 1 crore from him. It is alleged in the charge sheet that, accused persons made the victim to draw totally a sum of ₹ 1,00,000/- using his credit card, ATM card etc., and had spent a sum of ₹.61,000/- from the same. 8. Learned counsel for the petitioner has produced the medical records of the petitioner's father which would prima facie go to show that, he has been admitted in the hospital multiple times and he is diagnosed of suffering chronic kidney disease and chronic liver disease. In addition to the same, his medical records would also go to show that he is diagnosed of suffering ischemic heart disease. He has undergone treatment for his ailment in various hospitals multiple times and is said to have been now discharged from the hospital with advise for bed rest. Learned counsel for the petitioner has submitted that except the petitioner there is nobody to take care of his father, who is ailing. - 6 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010368612026 NC: 2026:KHC:37823 CRL.P No. 7768 of 2026 9. It is not in dispute that except the present case the only other criminal case registered against the petitioner was in the year 2015 for offence punishable under Section 379 of IPC. Under the circumstances, considering nature of allegations found against petitioner in charge sheet and also taking into consideration the medical condition of his father, who is ailing from the aforesaid diseases, I am of the opinion that his prayer for grant of regular bail needs to be answered affirmatively subject to appropriate conditions. 10. Accordingly, the following:- ORDER Criminal petition is allowed. The petitioner is directed to be enlarged on bail in S.C.No.276 of 2025 pending before the Court of Principal District and Sessions Judge, Bengaluru Rural District, arising out of Crime No.123 of 2025 registered by Kaggalipura Police Station, Ramanagara for offences punishable under Sections 140(1), 140(2), 142 and 311 of BNS, 2023, subject to the following conditions:- - 7 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010368612026 NC: 2026:KHC:37823 CRL.P No. 7768 of 2026 a) The petitioner shall execute a personal bond for a sum of Rs.1,00,000/- (Rupees One Lakh only) 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. 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. f) The petitioner shall appear before the Station House Officer of Kaggalipura Police Station - 8 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010368612026 NC: 2026:KHC:37823 CRL.P No. 7768 of 2026 on every first Sunday of the month between 10.00 a.m. and 01.00 p.m. and mark his attendance for a period of one year from the date of his release from the custody. Sd/- (S VISHWAJITH SHETTY) JUDGE NMS List No.: 1 Sl No.: 31