- 1 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC-D:1200 CRL.P No. 104906 of 2025 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT DHARWAD DATED THIS THE 30TH DAY OF JANUARY, 2026 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE V.SRISHANANDA CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 104906 OF 2025 (438(CR.PC)/482(BNSS)) BETWEEN: SRI KOTRAPPA S/O BHEEMAPPA PATTEPUR, AGE. 50 YEARS, OCC. AGRICULTURE, R/O. AIRANI, TQ. RANEBENNUR, DIST. HAVERI. …PETITIONER (BY SRI. HANUMANTHAREDDY SAHUKAR, ADVOCATE) AND: THE STATE OF KARNATAKA, POLICE SUB-INSPECTOR, RANEBENNUR RURAL POLICE STATION, RANEBENNUR DIST HAVERI, REPRESENTED BY ITS STATE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR, HIGH COURT BUILDING, DHARWAD-580010. …RESPONDENT (BY SRI. P.N. HATTI, HCGP) THIS CRIMINAL PETITION IS FILED UNDER SECTION 482 OF BNSS, PRAYING TO RELEASE THE PETITIONER/ACCUSED ON ANTICIPATORY BAIL IN THE EVENT OF HIS ARREST IN CRIME NO.236/2025 OF RANEBENNUR RURAL POLICE STATION RANEBENNUR, FOR THE ALLEGED OFFENCES PUNISHABLE U/S 108 AND 85 OF THE BNS, ON THE FILE OF PRL.CIVIL JUDGE (SR.DN) AND CJM COURT, RANEBENNUR, IN THE INTEREST OF JUSTICE AND EQUITY. THIS CRIMINAL PETITION COMING ON FOR ORDERS, THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER: Digitally signed by CHANDRASHEKAR LAXMAN KATTIMANI Location: High Court of Karnataka, Dharwad Bench. - 2 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC-D:1200 CRL.P No. 104906 of 2025 ORAL ORDER (PER: THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE V.SRISHANANDA) Heard Sri Hanumanthareddy Sahukar, learned counsel for petitioner and Sri P.N.Hatti, learned High Court Government Pleader for respondent. 2. Petitioner is the accused in Crime No.236/2025 of Ranebennur Rural Police Station. 3. Petition under Section 482 BNSS with the following prayer: “To release the petitioner/accused on anticipatory bail in the event of his arrest in Crime No.236/2025 of Ranebennur Rural Police Station Ranebennur, for the alleged offences punishable u/s 108 and 85 of the BNS, on the file of Prl.Civil Judge (Sr.Dn) and CJM Court, Ranebennur, in the interest of justice and equity.” 4. Facts of the case are as under: 4.1 Wife of the petitioner committed suicide by consuming the poison on 16.09.2025 at 10:00 p.m. in the house. According to the complaint averments, accused said to have - 3 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC-D:1200 CRL.P No. 104906 of 2025 abused the deceased in filthy language and abused her that she does not know how to cook and also assaulted her. Being frustrated in the life, deceased said to have consumed poison and she was shifted to Ranebennur Hospital and later on to Hospital at Davangere, wherein she succumbed. 4.2 Complaint came to be filed after her death on 19.09.2025 by one of the daughters of the accused and deceased. 5. Marriage between petitioner and deceased has taken place about 30 years and four children have been born and two of them have been married. 6. Taking note of the complaint averments, police registered the case for the offences punishable under Section 108 and 85 of BNS and are investigating the matter. 7. Attempt made by the petitioner to obtain an order of grant of anticipatory bail is turned down by the learned trial Judge and thereafter petitioner is before this Court. - 4 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC-D:1200 CRL.P No. 104906 of 2025 8. Sri Hanumanthareddy Sahukar, learned counsel for petitioner would contend that mere uttering the words ‘go and die’ would not be sufficient enough to result in an abatement to commit suicide and therefore, sought for grant of anticipatory bail. 9. He would further contend that marriage has lasted more than 30 years and four children have been born and two of them have been married by the petitioner as a dutiful father and therefore, hardly there was any scope for the alleged harassment and incident has occurred at the spur of the moment and petitioner is prepared to co-operate with the investigation in all respects and therefore sought for grant of anticipatory bail. 10. Per contra, Sri P.N.Hatti, learned High Court Government Pleader would oppose the bail grounds by contending that incident has occurred in the house of the petitioner and instead of taking his wife to the hospital immediately, there is sufficient delay and loss of time in shifting the victim to hospital resulting in the victim losing her conscious and thereafter she was taken to Ranebennur Hospital and from there to Davangere. - 5 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC-D:1200 CRL.P No. 104906 of 2025 11. He would further point out that petitioner did not choose to lodge the complaint which exposes the guilty mind of the petitioner and sought for dismissal of the petition. 12. Having heard the arguments of both sides, this Court perused the material on record meticulously. 13. On such perusal of the material on record, it is no doubt true that the incident has taken place in the house of the petitioner and there is no lodging of the complaint by the petitioner. 14. However, that itself would not be a ground to deny the relief. More so, when the marriage has lasted for about three decades and four children have been born and two of them have been married by the petitioner. 15. Taking note of these aspects of the matter and also taking note of the fact that from September 2025, investigation agency is not able to apprehend the petitioner, if the petitioner is directed to join the investigation and cooperate with the investigation process, ends of justice would be met. - 6 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC-D:1200 CRL.P No. 104906 of 2025 16. Accordingly, following: ORDER i. Petition is allowed. ii. Petitioner is directed to join the investigation by appearing before the Investigation Officer on 13.02.2026 at 10:00 a.m. Investigation Officer is at liberty to take him to custody and complete the custodial interrogation on the same day before 07:00 p.m. and thereafter enlarge him on bail by taking a bond in a sum of ₹50,000/- with one surety for the like sum to the satisfaction of the Investigation Officer. iii. Petitioner shall co-operate with the investigation in all respects. iv. Petitioner shall attend the Court regularly. v. Petitioner shall not tamper the prosecution witnesses in any manner. vi. Petitioner shall mark his attendance every Sunday between 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. till the final report is filed. vii. Petitioner shall not leave the jurisdiction of Haveri District without prior permission. Violation of any one of the conditions would entitle the prosecution to seek for cancellation of bail. Ordered accordingly. Sd/- (V.SRISHANANDA) JUDGE CLK, CT:CMU