- 1 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010508302026 NC: 2026:KHC:48845 CRL.P No. 11142 of 2026 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 9TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER, 2026 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S VISHWAJITH SHETTY CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 11142 OF 2026 BETWEEN: SHRI. GANESH RAVI SALIAN S/O RAVI AGED ABOUT 46 YEARS RESDIIG AT 2-114 (2) PANCHATHARA HOUSE, AMBADI, KUNDARA, NEAR CANARA BANK MATTU KATAPADI, UDUPI KARNATAKA - 574 105. …PETITIONER (BY SRI. ABHIMANYU ARJUN DEVAIAH T, ADVOCATE) AND: THE UNION OF INDIA BY INTELLIGENCE OFFICER, DIRECTORATE OF REVENUE INTELLIGENCE (DRI ) BENGALURU ZONAL UNIT, NO. 8(2)P, OPP BDA COMPLEX, HBR LAYOUT KALYANAGAR POST, BANASAWADI BENGALURU - 560 043. …RESPONDENT (BY SRI. MADHU N. RAO, SR. STANDING COUNSEL AND SPL.PP) THIS CRL.P IS FILED U/S 439 OF CR.PC (FILED U/S 483 BNNS) PRAYING TO ENLARGE THE PETITIONER (SHRI GANESH Digitally signed by NANDINI M S Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA - 2 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010508302026 NC: 2026:KHC:48845 CRL.P No. 11142 of 2026 RAVI SALIAN) ON BAIL IN CONNECTION SPL.CC.NO.906/2026 (ARISING OUT OF F.NO.DRI/BZU/S-IV/ENQ-41 (INT-NIL) /2025), PENDING ON THE FILE OF THE HONBLE XXXIII ADDITIONAL CITY CIVIL AND SESSIONS JUDGE AND SPECIAL COURT FOR NDPS CASES, BENGALURU, FOR OFFENCE P/US/ 8(c), 22(c), 23(c), 28 AND 29 OF NDPS ACT ON SUCH TERMS AND CONDITIONS AS THIS HONBLE COURT MAY DEEMS FIT AND PROPER. 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 No.2 in Spl.C.No.905/2026 pending before the Court of the XXXIII Additional City Civil and Sessions Judge and Special Court for NDPS cases, Bengaluru arising out of F.No.DRI/BZU/S-IV/ENQ-41(INT-NIL)/2025) registered by the respondent-authority for the offences punishable under Sections 8(c), 21(c), 23(c), 24, 27(A), 28 and 29 of the NDPS Act, 1985, is before this Court in - 3 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010508302026 NC: 2026:KHC:48845 CRL.P No. 11142 of 2026 this petition filed under Section 483 of the BNSS, 2023 seeking regular bail. 2. Heard the learned counsel for the parties. 3. It is the case of the prosecution that, based on credible information received on 23.10.2025, accused No.1-Sri Dinesh Koragappa Salian, who arrived from Dubai at Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru was intercepted and, from his possession, contraband article cocaine totally weighing 974 grams, was recovered under a panchanama. During the course of investigation, the petitioner, who is the brother of accused No.1, was arrested on 01.11.2025 and remanded to judicial custody. After completion of investigation, the petitioner had filed a bail application before the trial Court in Crl.Misc.No.5957/2026, which was rejected on 17.07.2026. Therefore, he is before this Court. 4. Learned counsel for the petitioner, after reiterating the grounds urged in the petition, submits that - 4 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010508302026 NC: 2026:KHC:48845 CRL.P No. 11142 of 2026 except an air ticket which was booked by the petitioner for accused No.1, who had travelled from Mangaluru to Bengaluru, there is absolutely no other material collected by the Investigating Officer to connect the petitioner to the crime. The petitioner has no other criminal antecedents. Investigation of the case is already completed. Accordingly, he prays to allow the petition. 5. Per contra, learned counsel appearing for the respondent, who has filed his objections, has opposed the petition. However, he does not dispute the submission made by the learned counsel for the petitioner. He submits that phone records of accused No.1 would reveal that he was in constant touch with the petitioner and the petitioner had earlier travelled to Sierra Leone and, thereafter, at the instance of the petitioner, his brother, accused No.1 had travelled to Sierra Leone and had brought the baggage containing the contraband article to India. Accordingly, he prays to dismiss the petition. - 5 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010508302026 NC: 2026:KHC:48845 CRL.P No. 11142 of 2026 6. Material on record would disclose that accused No.1-Sri Dinesh Koragappa Salian, who arrived at Bengaluru from Dubai in ASKY Airlines (Flight No.KP-23) was intercepted by the officers of the respondent herein on 23.10.2025, and from his baggage, contraband article totally weighing 974 grams was recovered and seized under a panchanama. Subsequently, based on the confession statement of accused No.1, even the petitioner was arrested on 01.11.2025 and remanded to judicial custody. According to the prosecution, the petitioner had met the person who had supplied the contraband article to accused No.1 at Sierra Leone when he had earlier travelled there and, thereafter, at his instance accused No.1, who is his brother, had gone to Sierra Leone and had brought the contraband article in a trolley bag to India. To substantiate this allegation against the petitioner, the prosecution has relied upon the air ticket that was booked by accused No.2/petitioner for accused No.1 to travel from Mangaluru to Bengaluru on his way to Sierra Leone. Except the said - 6 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010508302026 NC: 2026:KHC:48845 CRL.P No. 11142 of 2026 air ticket, no other material has been collected by the prosecution to connect the petitioner to the crime. 7. It is not in dispute that the petitioner is the direct brother of accused No.1 and merely for the reason that he had booked an air ticket for his brother to travel from Mangaluru to Bengaluru, that itself is not sufficient to establish the alleged conspiracy between them. It is not in dispute that the petitioner has no other criminal antecedents. 8. Material on record would go to show that he is a film distributor and he has travelled to various countries prior to travelling to Sierra Leone. He is now in custody for the last more than 10 months. Investigation of the case is already completed. 9. 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, subject to appropriate conditions. Accordingly, the following: - 7 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010508302026 NC: 2026:KHC:48845 CRL.P No. 11142 of 2026 O R D E R i) The Criminal Petition is allowed. ii) The petitioner is directed to be enlarged on bail in Spl.C.No.905/2026 pending before the Court of XXXIII Additional City Civil and Sessions Judge and Special Court for NDPS cases, Bengaluru arising out of F.No.DRI/BZU/S- IV/ENQ-41(INT-NIL)/2025) registered by respondent - authority for the offences punishable under Sections 8(c), 21(c), 23(c), 24, 27(A), 28 and 29 of the NDPS Act, 1985, 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; - 8 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010508302026 NC: 2026:KHC:48845 CRL.P No. 11142 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 SHS List No.: 1 Sl No.: 31