- 1 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010450872026 NC: 2026:KHC:42132 CRL.P No. 9618 of 2026 C/W CRL.P No. 9689 of 2026 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 7TH DAY OF AUGUST, 2026 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S VISHWAJITH SHETTY CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 9618 OF 2026 C/W CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 9689 OF 2026 IN CRL.P No. 9618/2026: BETWEEN: 1. NAZEEBULLA S/O ABDUL SAB AGED ABOUT 39 YEARS OCC: AGRICULTURE R/O UBRANI VILLAGE CHANNAGIRI TALUK DAVANAGERE DISTRICT - 577 213. 2. MUKRAM S/O ABDUL RAHEEM AGED ABOUT 41 YEARS OCC: COOLIE, R/O KAGEKODIMAGGE VILLAGE, BHADRAVATHI TALUK SHIVAMOGGA DISTRICT - 577 227. 3. SYED MEHABOOB S/O ABDUL SAB AGE ABOUT 37 YEARS OCC: COOLIE, R/O KADEKALLU VILLAGE, SHIVAMOGGA TALUK AND DISTRICT - 577 203. …PETITIONERS (BY SRI HARISH N.K, ADV.) AND: THE STATE OF KARNATAKA THROUGH THE RANGE FOREST OFFICER CHANNAGIRI RANGE, DAVANAGERE DISTRICT, REPRESENTED BY THE Digitally signed by NANDINI M S Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA - 2 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010450872026 NC: 2026:KHC:42132 CRL.P No. 9618 of 2026 C/W CRL.P No. 9689 of 2026 STATE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR, HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA, AMBEDKAR VEEDHI BENGALURU - 560 001. …RESPONDENT (BY SMT. RASHMI JADHAV, ADDL SPP) THIS CRL.P IS FILED U/S 439 CR.PC (FILED U/S 483 BNNS) PRAYING TO GRANT REGULAR BAIL TO THE PETITIONERS/ACCUSED NO.3 TO 5 IN FOC NO.04/2026-27 ON THE FILE OF THE PRL. CIVIL JUDGE AND JMFC, CHANNAGIRI REGISTERED BY THE RANGE FOREST OFFICER CHANNAGIRI, FOR THE OFFENCES P/U/S 24, 50, 62, 36 OF THE KARNATAKA FOREST ACT, 1963 R/W RULES 144 AND 165 OF THE KARNATAKA FOREST RULES, 1969 AND SECTIONS 4 AND 21 OF THE MINES AND MINERALS (DEVELOPMENT AND REGULATION) ACT, 1957, ON SUCH CONDITIONS AS THIS HONBLE COURT MAY DEEM FIT AND PROPER. IN CRL.P NO. 9689/2026: BETWEEN: PRASANNA S/O THIPPESHAPPA AGED ABOUT 31 YEARS OCC:AGRICULTURE R/O UBRANI VILLAGE CHANNAGIRI TALUK DAVANAGERE DISTRICT - 577 213. ...PETITIONER (BY SRI HARISH N.K, ADV.) AND: THE STATE OF KARNATAKA , THROUGH THE RANGE FOREST OFFICER CHANNAGIRI RANGE, DAVANAGERE DISTRICT REPRESENTED BY THE STATE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR, HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA, AMBEDKAR VEEDHI BENGALURU - 560 001. ...RESPONDENT (BY SMT. RASHMI JADHAV, ADDL. SPP) - 3 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010450872026 NC: 2026:KHC:42132 CRL.P No. 9618 of 2026 C/W CRL.P No. 9689 of 2026 THIS CRL.P IS FILED U/S 439 CR.P.C (U/S 483 BNSS) PRAYING TO GRANT REGULAR BAIL TO THE PETITIONER/ACCUSED NO.2 IN FOC NO.4/2026-27 REGISTERED BY THE RANGE FOREST OFFICER, CHANNAGIRI, PENDING BEFORE THE PRL.CIVIL JUDGE AND JMFC, CHANNAGIRI, FOR THE OFFENCES P/U/S 24,50,62,36 OF KARNATAKA FOREST ACT, 1963 R/W RULES 144 AND 165 OF THE KARNATAKA FOREST RULES, 1969, U/S 4 AND 21 OF MMDR ACT, 1957. 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 to 5 are before this Court in these two petitions filed under Section 483 of BNSS, 2023, seeking regular bail in FOC No.4/2026-27 registered by the Range Forest Officer, Channagiri, for the offences punishable under Sections 24, 50, 62 and 36 of the Karnataka Forest Act, 1963, Rules 144 and 165 of the Karnataka Forest Rules, 1969 and Sections 4 and 21 of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957. 2. Heard the learned counsel for the parties. 3. The Range Forest Officer, Channagiri had registered FIR in FOC No.4/2026-27 against petitioners and others for the aforesaid offences and in the said case, petitioners were - 4 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010450872026 NC: 2026:KHC:42132 CRL.P No. 9618 of 2026 C/W CRL.P No. 9689 of 2026 arrested on 08.06.2026. Their bail application filed before the jurisdictional Sessions Court in Crl.Misc.No.510/2026 and Crl.Misc.No.505/2026 were rejected on 23.06.2026. Therefore, they are before this Court. 4. The allegation as against the accused persons in the present case is that they were allegedly carrying on illegal mining activities by encroaching the forest land bearing Sy.No.21 of Ubrani Village, Channagiri Taluk and were illegally transporting iron ore and thereby causing loss to the exchequer of the State Government. The maximum punishment for the alleged offences is imprisonment for a period of five years. Petitioners are in custody in the present case for the last two months. Investigation of the case is already completed. Considering the nature of allegations found as against the petitioners, I am of the opinion that their prayer for grant of regular bail needs to be answered affirmatively. Accordingly, the following order:- 5. The petitions are allowed. The petitioners are directed to be enlarged on bail in FOC No.4/2026-27 registered by the - 5 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010450872026 NC: 2026:KHC:42132 CRL.P No. 9618 of 2026 C/W CRL.P No. 9689 of 2026 Range Forest Officer, Channagiri, for the offences punishable under Sections 24, 50, 62 and 36 of the Karnataka Forest Act, 1963, Rules 144 and 165 of the Karnataka Forest Rules, 1969 and Sections 4 and 21 of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, subject to the following conditions: a) Petitioners shall execute a personal bond for a sum of Rs.1,00,000/- each with two sureties for the likesum, to the satisfaction of the jurisdictional Court; b) The petitioners shall appear regularly on all the dates of hearing before the Trial Court unless the Trial Court exempts their appearance for valid reasons; c) The petitioners shall not directly or indirectly threaten or tamper with the prosecution witnesses; d) The petitioners shall not involve in similar offences in future; Sd/- (S VISHWAJITH SHETTY) JUDGE DN/List No.: 1 Sl No.: 39