- 1 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010626632026 NC: 2026:KHC:55474 CRL.P No. 13905 of 2026 C/W CRL.P No. 13908 of 2026 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 1ST DAY OF OCTOBER, 2026 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S VISHWAJITH SHETTY CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 13905 OF 2026 C/W CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 13908 OF 2026 IN CRL.P No. 13905/2026: BETWEEN: SRI DORERAJ N S/O LATENARASIMAHA MURTHY D AGED ABOUT 48 YEARS WORKING AS TALUK SURVEYOR ADLR OFFICE, CHIKKAMAGALURU - 577 101 R/A CHOWDESHWARI TEMPLESTREET ARAVINDANAGAR NATIVE SRINIVAS EXTETION, MADUGIRITUMAKURU DISTRICT - 572 132. …PETITIONER (BY SRI HARISH SHIRALAKOPPA, ADV.) AND: THE STATE BY LOKAYUKTA POLICE CHIKKAMAGALURU REPRESENTED BY ITS SPECIAL PUBLIC PROSECUTOR, HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA, BENGALURU - 560 001. …RESPONDENT (BY SRI K. PRASANNA SHETTY, SPP) THIS CRL.P IS FILED U/S 439 CR.PC (FILED U/S 483 BNSS) PRAYING TO GRANT REGULAR BAIL TO THE PETITIONER IN CR.NO.7/2026 FOR THE OFFENCES P/U/S 7(a) OF THE PC ACT 1988, (AMENDED 2018) REGISTERED BY THE RESPONDENT NLOKAYUKTHA POLICE, CHIKKAMAGALURU, PENDING BEFORE THE HONBLE PRL. DISTRICT AND SESSIONS AND SPECIAL JUDGE, CHIKKAMAGALURU. Digitally signed by NANDINI M S Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA - 2 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010626632026 NC: 2026:KHC:55474 CRL.P No. 13905 of 2026 C/W CRL.P No. 13908 of 2026 IN CRL.P NO. 13908/2026: BETWEEN: SHRI RANGANATHA H M S/O LATE MARIGOWDA AGED ABOUT 39 YEARS SURVEYOR, ADLR OFFICER CHIKKAMAGALURU - 577 101 RESIDENT OF VINUTHA NILAYA 2ND CROSS, JAYANAGARA CHIKKAMAGALURU - 577 101 PERMANENT RESIDENT OF HENNURU KONGALALE, MALLIPATNA HOBLI ARAKALGUD TALUKA HASSAN DISTRICT - 573 102. ...PETITIONER (BY SRI P.B. UMESH, ADV., FOR SRI RAVINDRA B. DESHPANDE, ADV.) AND: THE STATE BY LOKAYUKTHA POLICE STATION CHIKKAMAGALURU (REPRESENTED BY SPECIAL PUBLIC PROSECUTOR FOR LOKAYUKTHA, BENGALURU - 560 001) ...RESPONDENT (BY SRI K. DESHPANDE, ADV., FOR SRI K. PRASANNA SHETTY, SPP) THIS CRL.P IS FILED U/S 439 CR.P.C (U/S 483 BNSS) PRAYING TO ENLARGE THE PETITIONER/ACCUSED NO.2 ON BAIL IN CR.NO.7/2026 REGISTERED BY LOKAYUKTHA P.S., CHIKKAMAGALURU, FOR THE OFFENCE P/U/S 7(a) OF P.C. ACT, 1988 (AMENDMENT, 2018) PENDING BEFORE THE PRL. DISTRICT AND SESSIONS AND SPECIAL COURT, CHIKKAMAGALURU. THESE PETITIONS, COMING ON FOR ORDERS, THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER: CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S VISHWAJITH SHETTY - 3 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010626632026 NC: 2026:KHC:55474 CRL.P No. 13905 of 2026 C/W CRL.P No. 13908 of 2026 ORAL ORDER 1. Accused Nos.1 and 2 in Crime No.7/2026 registered by Lokayuktha Police, Chikkamagaluru, for the offence punishable under Section 7(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (Amendment Act, 2018), are before this Court in these two petitions filed under Section 483 of BNSS, 2023, seeking regular bail. 2. Heard the learned counsel for the parties. 3. FIR in Crime No.7/2026 was registered by Lokayuktha Police, Chikkamgaluru, for the aforesaid offence against the petitioners herein based on the first information dated 19.08.2026 received from Dharanesh S/o late Rudregowda. In the said case, petitioners herein were arrested on 21.08.2026 and remanded to judicial custody. Their bail application filed before the Trial Court in Crime No.7/2026 was rejected on 01.09.2026. Therefore, they are before this Court. 4. Learned counsel for the petitioners having reiterated the grounds urged in the petitions submits that investigation of the case is almost completed. Petitioners have no other criminal - 4 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010626632026 NC: 2026:KHC:55474 CRL.P No. 13905 of 2026 C/W CRL.P No. 13908 of 2026 antecedents. The maximum punishment for the alleged offence is imprisonment for a period of seven years. Accordingly, he prays to allow the petitions. 5. Per contra, learned counsel for the respondent, who has filed his statement of objections, submits that petitioners were caught red handed while receiving the bribe amount of Rs.2 lakhs from the defacto complainant. They had demanded huge bribe from the complainant inspite of there being an order from the jurisdictional Civil Court to survey the land of the complainant. Investigation of the case is under progress. Accordingly, he prays to dismiss the petitions. 6. Defacto complainant Dharanesh S/o late Rudregwoda, had approached the Lokayuktha Police, Chikkamagaluru on 19.08.2026 and had submitted a typed first information alleging that he had approached accused Nos.1 and 2 for the purpose of surveying his property pursuant to the orders passed by the jurisdictional Civil Court in OS No.99/2022 for surveying his land, which was the subject matter of the said suit. Accused Nos.1 and 2 had demanded bribe of Rs.10 lakhs - 5 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010626632026 NC: 2026:KHC:55474 CRL.P No. 13905 of 2026 C/W CRL.P No. 13908 of 2026 for the purpose of giving a favourable survey report and on negotiation, the said amount was reduced to Rs.5 lakhs. Since, defacto complainant did not intend to pay the bribe amount to accused Nos.1 and 2, he had recorded his conversation with accused Nos.1 and 2 in his mobile phone and thereafter, approached the police on 19.08.2026. 7. In the trap that was subsequently held on 21.08.2026, accused Nos.1 and 2 were caught red handed while receiving tainted money of Rs.2 lakhs from the defacto complainant. Accused Nos.1 and 2 were apprehended in their office, arrested and were subsequently produced before the Court, which had remanded them to judicial custody. Petitioners, who are government servants, are in custody in the present case from 21.08.2026. In a trap case, in normal circumstances, major portion of the investigation is completed on the day of trap itself, except awaiting report from the FSL. The maximum punishment for the alleged offence is imprisonment for a period of seven years. The submission made by learned counsel for the petitioners that they do not have any other criminal antecedents is not disputed by learned counsel for the - 6 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010626632026 NC: 2026:KHC:55474 CRL.P No. 13905 of 2026 C/W CRL.P No. 13908 of 2026 respondent. Under the circumstances, I am of the opinion that prayer made by the petitioners needs to be answered affirmatively. Accordingly, the following order:- 8. The petitions are allowed. The petitioners are directed to be enlarged on bail in Crime No.7/2026 registered by Lokayuktha Police, Chikkamagaluru, for the offence punishable under Section 7(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (Amendment Act, 2018), 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; - 7 - HC-KAR CNR: KAHC010626632026 NC: 2026:KHC:55474 CRL.P No. 13905 of 2026 C/W CRL.P No. 13908 of 2026 e) The petitioners shall not leave the jurisdiction of the Trial Court without permission of the said Court until the case registered against them is disposed off. Sd/- (S VISHWAJITH SHETTY) JUDGE DN List No.: 1 Sl No.: 58