- 1 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010605072026 NC: 2026:KHC:52900 CRL.P No. 13420 of 2026 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 24TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER, 2026 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S VISHWAJITH SHETTY CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 13420 OF 2026 BETWEEN: SRI. MANOJ KUMAR. S S/O SHANKARNARAYANA AGED ABOUT 28 YEARS, R/AT NO. 189, 4TH CROSS, KUVEMPU ROAD, B. CHENNASANDRA KALYANANAGAR POST, BENGALURU - 43. …PETITIONER (BY SRI. RAGHAVENDRA REDDY C.R, ADVOCATE) AND: STATE OF KARNATAKA BY HENNUR POLICE STATION REP. BY SPP, HIGH COURT BUILDING BANGALORE - 560 001. …RESPONDENT (BY SRI. CHANNAPPA ERAPPA, HCGP) THIS CRL.P IS FILED U/S.439 (FILED U/S.483 BNSS) OF CR.P.C PRAYING TO ENLARGE HIM ON BAIL IN CRIME NO.378/2026 REGISTERED BY HENNUR POLICE STATION FOR OFFENCE P/US/ 69, 351(2) OF BNS 2023 AND SEC.66(E) OF Digitally signed by NANDINI M S Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA - 2 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010605072026 NC: 2026:KHC:52900 CRL.P No. 13420 of 2026 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ACT 2000, PENDING ON THE FILE OF THE HONBLE XI ADDL CJM BENGALURU CITY. 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.378/2026 registered by Hennur Police Station, Bengaluru City for the offences punishable under Sections 69 and 351(2) 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.378/2026 was registered by Hennur Police Station, Bengaluru City for the offences punishable under Sections 69 and 351(2) of BNS, 2023 and Section 66(E) of Information Technology Act, 2000 against the petitioner herein, based on the first information dated 14.07.2026 received from the alleged victim girl, - 3 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010605072026 NC: 2026:KHC:52900 CRL.P No. 13420 of 2026 aged about 23 years. During the course of investigation of the case, the petitioner was arrested on 25.07.2026 and remanded to judicial custody. His bail application filed before the jurisdictional Sessions Court in Crl.Misc.No.7630/2026 was rejected on 25.08.2026. Therefore, he is before this Court. 4. In the first information submitted by the victim girl on 14.07.2026, she has alleged that she is acquainted to the petitioner for the last more than one year. The petitioner, who is her distant relative, was frequently meeting her and was pestering her to love him. 5. In the month of June 2025, the petitioner had taken the victim girl on his motorbike and had provided her juice to drink. After consuming the same, she lost her consciousness. The petitioner, who had taken her to a lodge, raped her and also recorded her nude videos in his mobile phone. Thereafter, he was threatening her of circulating the said videos and photographs in social - 4 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010605072026 NC: 2026:KHC:52900 CRL.P No. 13420 of 2026 media. She has further alleged that, by threatening her, the petitioner had taken her to various lodges and had sexual intercourse with her against her wishes. She has further stated that, as a result, she had conceived and after consuming the tablets provided by the petitioner, her pregnancy was aborted. 6. On 04.07.2026, when she requested the petitioner to marry her, he allegedly refused and also criminally intimidated her. Subsequently, his mobile phone was found switched off and therefore, she had attempted to commit suicide. 7. Based on her statement recorded while she was in the hospital, FIR was registered in the present case against the petitioner for the aforesaid offences. In the charge sheet, which is now filed against the petitioner, the offence punishable under the Information Technology Act, 2000 has been dropped. Therefore, the allegation made against the petitioner that he had recorded the private - 5 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010605072026 NC: 2026:KHC:52900 CRL.P No. 13420 of 2026 photographs and videos of the victim girl and thereafter threatened her and had sexual intercourse with her appears to be baseless. 8. A reading of the first information as well as the statement of the victim girl recorded under Section 183 of BNSS, 2023 by the jurisdictional Magistrate would go to show that there is no such allegation that the petitioner had promised the victim girl to marry her, without having any intention to marry her and thereafter had sexual intercourse with her. For the purpose of attracting the offence punishable under Section 69 of BNS, 2023 there should be material as aforesaid, which is absent in the present case. A reading of the first information and the statement of the victim girl would reveal that she was acquainted to the petitioner for last more than one year and they had travelled together to various places, stayed together and had sexual intercourse. - 6 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010605072026 NC: 2026:KHC:52900 CRL.P No. 13420 of 2026 9. The petitioner is a youngster working in a private company has no other criminal antecedents. Investigation of the case is now completed. Considering the aforesaid aspects of the matter, 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: O R D E R i) The Criminal Petition is allowed. ii) The petitioner is directed to be enlarged on bail in Crime No.378/2026 registered by Hennur Police Station, Bengaluru City for the offences punishable under Sections 69 and 351(2) 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; - 7 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010605072026 NC: 2026:KHC:52900 CRL.P No. 13420 of 2026 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. Sd/- (S VISHWAJITH SHETTY) JUDGE SHS List No.: 1 Sl No.: 79