- 1 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010664082026 NC: 2026:KHC:54572 CRL.P No. 14891 of 2026 C/W CRL.P No. 14897 of 2026 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 29TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER, 2026 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S VISHWAJITH SHETTY CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 14891 OF 2026 C/W CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 14897 OF 2026 IN CRL.P No. 14891/2026: BETWEEN: LT. COL. JACOB JACOB VSM (RETD) (MENTIONED AS KAMAL JACOB IN THE FOC) AGED ABOUT 76 YEARS S/O MR. N.K. JACOB MOBILE NO. 9845013234 (SENIOR CITIZEN BENEFIT NOT CLAIMED) RESIDING AT (AS PER THE FOC) VARESOVA LAYOUT C.V. RAMAN NAGAR POST BENGALURU - 560 093. …PETITIONER (BY SRI ARUNA SHYAM, SR. COUNSEL FOR SRI PRAVARDHAN URS, ADV.) AND: STATE OF KARNATAKA BY RANGE FOREST OFFICER MR. NISAR AHAMED P.K KUNDUKERE RANGE KUDUKERE REP. BY STATE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR, HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA, BENGALURU - 560 001. …RESPONDENT (BY SRI RAHUL RAI K, HCGP) THIS CRL.P IS FILED U/S 438 CR.PC (FILED U/S 482 BNSS) PRAYING TO GRANT ANTICIPATORY BAIL TO THE PETITIONER/ Digitally signed by NANDINI M S Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA - 2 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010664082026 NC: 2026:KHC:54572 CRL.P No. 14891 of 2026 C/W CRL.P No. 14897 of 2026 ACCUSED NO.2 AND DIRECT THAT IN THE EVENT OF HIS ARREST IN FOC NO.01/206-27 DATED 18.08.2026 HONBLE CIVIL JUDGE AND J.M.F.C GUNDLUPET OF THE RANGE FOREST OFFICER, KUNDUKERE RANGE, BANDIPUR TIGER RESERVE ARISING IN WOLR.NO.01/2026- 27 AND INVOKING SEC.2(31),9,27,31,34,39,40,42,51,57 AND 223 OF BNSS 2023 OF THE WILD LIFE (PROTECTION) ACT 1972 HE SHALL BE RELEASED ON BAIL. IN CRL.P NO. 14897/2026: BETWEEN: MRS. AMONG SENTILA JACOB (MENTIONED AS SENETILA LANG KUMER IN THE FOC) AGED ABOUT 45 YEARS S/O A LANG KUMER BORTH RESIDING AT (AS PER THE FOC) NO.77, VARESOVAS LAYOUT C.V. RAMANA NAGARA POST BENGALURU - 560 093. ...PETITIONER (BY SRI ARUNA SHYAM, SR. COUNSEL FOR SRI PRAVARDHAN URS, ADV.) AND: STATE OF KARNATAKA BY RANGE FOREST OFFICER MR. NISAR AHAMED P.K KUNDUKERE RANGE KUDUKERE REP. BY STATE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA BENGALURU - 560 001. ...RESPONDENT (BY SRI RAHUL RAI K, HCGP) THIS CRL.P IS FILED U/S.438 (FILED U/S.482 BNSS) CR.P.C PRAYING TO GRANT ANTICIPATORY BAIL TO THE PETITIONER/ACCUSED NO.1 AND DIRECT THAT, IN THE EVENT OF HER ARREST IN FOC NO.1/2026-27 DATED 18.08.2026 HONBLE CIVIL JUDGE AND JMFC GUNDLUPETE OF THE RANGE FOREST OFFICER, KUNDUKERE RANGE, BANDIPURA TIGER RESERVE ARISING IN WLOR NO.1/2026-27 AND INVOKING - 3 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010664082026 NC: 2026:KHC:54572 CRL.P No. 14891 of 2026 C/W CRL.P No. 14897 of 2026 SEC.2(31),9,27,31,34,39,40,42,51,57 OF THE WILD LIFE (PROTECTION) ACT 1972 SHE SHALL BE RELEASED ON BAIL ON SUCH TERMS AND CONDITIONS AS THIS HONBLE COURT DEEMS FIT AND PROPER. 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.1 and 2 in FOC No.1/2026-27 pending before the Court of Civil Judge & JMFC, Gundlupet, registered for offences punishable under Sections 2(31), 9, 27, 31, 34, 39, 40, 42, 51 & 57 of Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 and Section 223 of BNS, 2023 are before this Court in these two petitions filed under Section 482 of the BNSS, 2023 seeking anticipatory bail. 2. Heard the learned counsel for the parties. 3. The Range Forest Officer, Kundukere Range, Bandipur Tiger Reserve based on credible information received, appears to have conducted a raid to a farmhouse in Kebbepura village in Survey No.116, and recovered deer antlers, wildlife skins, teeth, feathers, weapons, ammunition and camera etc., - 4 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010664082026 NC: 2026:KHC:54572 CRL.P No. 14891 of 2026 C/W CRL.P No. 14897 of 2026 and thereafter, FIR was registered in FOC(WLOR)No.1/2026-27 against the owner and the inmates of the aforesaid farmhouse. Apprehending arrest in the said case, accused nos.1 and 2 had approached the jurisdictional Sessions Court and their bail application was rejected. Therefore, they are before this Court. 4. Accused Nos.1 and 2 allegedly are owners of aforesaid property. Accused No.1 is said to be the daughter-in- law of Accused No.2, who is a retired Lieutenant Colonel. It appears that accused nos.1 and 2 had approached this Court in Criminal Petition No.13252/ 2026 with a prayer to quash the FIR registered in FOC No.1/2026-27 for the aforesaid offences. In paragraph nos.4 to 7 of the order dated 08.09.2026 passed by the Co-ordinate bench of this Court in Criminal Petition No.13252/ 2026, it is observed as follows: "4. Learned Senior counsel for the petitioners elaborating his submission would submit that before conducting the alleged panchanamma, WLOR (Wildlife Offence Report) was not yet registered, as such, the alleged seizure is vitiated. - 5 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010664082026 NC: 2026:KHC:54572 CRL.P No. 14891 of 2026 C/W CRL.P No. 14897 of 2026 5. Learned Additional SPP would submit that the petitioners have to co-operate with the investigation, as cognizable offences are made out. 6. Since the submission made on behalf of the petitioners that they would cooperate with the investigation, the respondent-State shall issue notice to the petitioners, calling upon them to co- operate in the investigation. 7. It is needless to say that, in the event the petitioners respond to the notice, the concerned officer shall follow the guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court in Satender Kumar Antil vs. Central Bureau of Investigation". 5. Learned Senior Counsel appearing for the petitioners submits that till date no enquiry notice has been issued to the petitioners and therefore, they are apprehending arrest at the hands of the respondent. Accused No.3 is the person residing in the farmhouse, who takes care of the property of accused nos.1 and 2, who are the permanent residents of Bengaluru, who occasionally visit their farmhouse. 6. Accused no.3 who was arrested in the present case is enlarged on regular bail. Accused Nos.1 & 2 have undertaken - 6 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010664082026 NC: 2026:KHC:54572 CRL.P No. 14891 of 2026 C/W CRL.P No. 14897 of 2026 to cooperate with the police for the purpose of investigation. The officers have already seized the articles that were found in the farmhouse under a panchanama. Maximum punishment for the alleged offences is imprisonment for a period of seven years. Under the circumstances, the prayer made by the petitioners for grant of anticipatory bail needs to be granted subject to appropriate conditions. Accordingly, the following:- ORDER (i) The Criminal Petitions are allowed. (ii) The respondent - Police or any other police in the State of Karnataka are directed to release the petitioners in the event of their arrest in FOC No.1/2026-27 pending before the Court of Civil Judge & JMFC, Gundlupet, registered for offences punishable under Sections 2(31), 9, 27, 31, 34, 39, 40, 42, 51 & 57 of Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 and Section 223 of BNS, 2023, subject to the following conditions:- 1. The petitioners shall appear before the Investigating Officer in the present case within a period of fifteen days from the date of receipt of certified copy of this order on executing a personal bond for a sum of Rs.1,00,000/- (Rupees One Lakh - 7 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010664082026 NC: 2026:KHC:54572 CRL.P No. 14891 of 2026 C/W CRL.P No. 14897 of 2026 only) each with two sureties for the likesum to the satisfaction of the investigating officer/jurisdictional Court. 2. The petitioners shall regularly appear before the Trial Court without fail unless exempted by the Trial Court for valid reasons. 3. The petitioners shall not tamper with the prosecution witness and they shall co-operate with the Police for investigation and appear before them whenever called upon. 4. The petitioners shall not involve in similar offences in future. Sd/- (S VISHWAJITH SHETTY) JUDGE NMS List No.: 1 Sl No.: 5