- 1 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010455682026 NC: 2026:KHC:44942 CRL.P No. 9707 of 2026 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 19TH DAY OF AUGUST, 2026 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S VISHWAJITH SHETTY CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 9707 OF 2026 BETWEEN: MR. MOHIT RAJA S/O MR. MANOJ KUMAR SINGH, AGED ABOUT 27 YEARS, R/AT NO.42, 3RD FLOOR, JAGAJEEVAN BHANDARI BUILDING, PATEL LAYOUT, NEAR USK AUTO GAS, BEGURU MAIN ROAD, BENGALURU - 560 068 PERMANENT RESIDENT OF PLOT NO.406, OM RESIDENCY 'B' BLOCK, CMPF CO-OPERATIVE COLONY, SABALPUR, OPP TO AMAN GREEN APARTMENT, KG ASGARAMA, DHANBHAD, JHARKHAND - 828 110. …PETITIONER (BY SRI. JAGADISH N, ADVOCATE) AND: THE STATE OF KARNATAKA BY BEGURU POLICE STATION, BENGALURU REP. BY STATE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR, HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA, BENGALURU - 560 001. …RESPONDENT (BY SRI. RANGASWAMY R, HCGP) Digitally signed by ANNAPURNA G Location: High Court of Karnataka - 2 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010455682026 NC: 2026:KHC:44942 CRL.P No. 9707 of 2026 THIS CRL.P IS FILED U/S.439 (FILED U/S.483 BNSS) OF CR.P.C PRAYING TO ALLOW THE CRIMINAL PETITION AND ENLARGE THE PETITIONER ON BAIL, IN CRIME NO.155/2026 (FIR NO.155/2026 DATED 01.06.2026) REGISTERED AT BEGUR POLICE STATION, FOR OFFENCE P/SU/ 115(2), 351(2), 352, 69 OF BNS 2023. THIS PETITION, COMING ON FOR ORDERS, THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER: CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S VISHWAJITH SHETTY ORAL ORDER Accused in Crime No.155 of 2026 registered by Beguru Police Station, Bengaluru City for the offences punishable under Section 115(2), 351(2), 352, 69 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.155 of 2026 was registered by Beguru Police Station, Bengaluru City for the aforesaid offences against the petitioner, based on the first - 3 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010455682026 NC: 2026:KHC:44942 CRL.P No. 9707 of 2026 information dated 01.06.2026 received from alleged victim girl, aged 25 years. During the course of investigation of the said case, the petitioner was arrested on 02.06.2026 and remanded to judicial custody. His bail application filed before the jurisdiction Sessions Court in Crl.Misc.No.5660 of 2026 was rejected on 24.06.2026. Therefore, he is before this Court. 4. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that prior to the present complaint, the alleged victim had lodged a similar complaint in her native place against one Mukesh Kumar Singh. After abandoning the petitioner, victim girl has now married the aforesaid Mukesh Kumar Singh. Only because of the monetary dispute between the parties, a false complaint is filed against the petitioner. Accordingly, he prays to allow the petition. 5. Per contra, learned High Court Government Pleader who has opposed the petition submits that - 4 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010455682026 NC: 2026:KHC:44942 CRL.P No. 9707 of 2026 investigation of the case is under progress. Accordingly, he prays to dismiss the petition. 6. Material on record would go to show that the petitioner and the victim girl hail from the same village. In her first information, the victim girl has stated that the petitioner and his family members on a false promise to marry her, had brought her to Bengaluru and from 08.12.2025 onwards, she was staying with the petitioner in a rented apartment at Beguru in Bengaluru. In the said apartment, the petitioner had forcible sexual intercourse with her and also criminally intimidated her after assaulting her with his hands. On 13.03.2026, she had abandoned the company of the petitioner and started residing separately in the paying guest accommodation. Since, the petitioner had threatened to circulate her private photos and also had not repaid the amount of Rs.2,10,000/-, which he had received from her, she had approached the police on 01.06.2026. - 5 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010455682026 NC: 2026:KHC:44942 CRL.P No. 9707 of 2026 7. Material made available to the Court would go to show that, in the year, 2023 a similar complaint was lodged by the alleged victim at Dhanbad Police Station, Dhanbad District, Jharkhand State, against one Mukesh Kumar Singh, with similar allegations. 8. Learned counsel for the petitioner has submitted that after abandoning the petitioner, the victim girl has now married the aforesaid Mukesh Kumar Singh. In one of the e-mail communications forwarded by the petitioner, he has mentioned about the presence of a third person in their relationship. The victim girl, who had abandoned the petitioner on 13.03.2026 and started residing in a paying guest accommodation, has belatedly lodged the complaint on 01.06.2026, alleging that the petitioner was threatening to circulate her private photos and also he had refused to repay her the amount of Rs.2,10,000/-, which she had given to him. In view of the aforesaid aspects of the matter and also taking into consideration that major portion of the investigation is - 6 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010455682026 NC: 2026:KHC:44942 CRL.P No. 9707 of 2026 now completed, I am of the opinion that prayer made by the petitioner for grant of regular bail, who has no other criminal antecedents needs to be answered in affirmative. 9. Accordingly, the following O R D E R The Criminal Petition is allowed. The petitioner is directed to be enlarged on bail in Crime No.155 of 2026 registered by Beguru Police Station, Bengaluru City for the offences punishable under Section 115(2), 351(2), 352, 69 of BNS, 2023, subject to the following conditions: a) The petitioner shall execute 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; - 7 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010455682026 NC: 2026:KHC:44942 CRL.P No. 9707 of 2026 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. Sd/- (S VISHWAJITH SHETTY) JUDGE AMM List No.: 1 Sl No.: 62