APHC010357712026 IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH AT AMARAVATI (Special Original Jurisdiction) [3521] TUESDAY, THE 21st DAY OF JULY 2026 PRESENT THE HONOURABLE DR JUSTICE Y. LAKSHMANA RAO CRIMINAL PETITION NO: 5762/2026 Between: PULIDINDI SANDHYA, W/O UDAY BHASKAR,HOUSE WIFE, AGED 28 YEARS. D.NO.4-46SOMARAJUPETA, MAGAM, AINAVILLI M. ...PETITIONER/ACCUSED AND THE STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH, Through SHO, I Polavaram Police StationRep. by Public Prosecutor,High Court of Andhra Pradesh,Amaravathi. ...RESPONDENT/COMPLAINANT Counsel for the Petitioner/accused: CHAKRADHARA RAJA Y Counsel for the Respondent/complainant: PUBLIC PROSECUTOR 2 Dr.YLR,J Crl.P.No.5762 of 2026 Dated 21.07.2026 The Court made the following: ORDER: This Criminal Petition has been filed under Section 482 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (for brevity, ‘the BNSS’), by the petitioner/Accused No.2, for granting of pre-arrest bail in connection with Crime No.132 of 2026 of I.Polavaram Police Station, Dr.B.R.Ambedkar Konaseema District, registered for the alleged offence punishable under Section 194 of ‘the BNSS’. 2. Mr. Y.Chakradhara Raja, learned counsel for the petitioner, submits that the petitioner is innocent of the alleged offence and that she has been falsely implicated in the alleged offence. She has not committed any offence. She is a law-abiding citizen. She has got a fixed abode. It is further submitted that the petitioner is a female aged about 28 years. She has been suffering from abnormal behaviour and requires medical evaluation. In support of the said contention, the petitioner has filed a medical certificate. The petitioner undertakes to abide by any conditions that this Court may impose while granting bail to the petitioner. Therefore, he prays that the present petition be allowed. 3. Per contra, Ms.P.Akila Naidu, learned Assistant Public Prosecutor, vehemently opposed the grant of bail to the petitioner, submitting that the investigation is still underway and several material witnesses remain to be 3 Dr.YLR,J Crl.P.No.5762 of 2026 Dated 21.07.2026 examined. It is contended that, if the petitioner is released on bail at this stage, there is a strong likelihood that she may abscond, thereby hampering the ongoing investigation and evading the process of law. Therefore, it is urged that the petition be dismissed. 4. Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner and the learned Assistant Public Prosecutor. Perused the record. 5. As seen from the record, the petitioner is the sister of Accused No.1. Accused No.1 is the husband of the deceased. The sister of the deceased lodged the present complaint alleging that Accused No.1 had developed an illicit relationship with another woman and had been subjecting the deceased to cruelty and harassment in several ways. It is further alleged that the petitioner and Accused No.2 instigated Accused No.1 to subject the deceased to cruelty and harassment. The prosecution witnesses, in their statements recorded under Section 161 of ‘the Cr.P.C.,’/Section 180 of ‘the BNSS’, have categorically stated that the petitioner/Accused No.2 had been instigating Accused No.1 to subject the deceased to cruelty and harassment on several occasions. Unable to bear the continuous cruelty, harassment, and the alleged instigation by the petitioner, the sister of the de-facto complainant took the extreme step of ending her life by drowning herself in the river. 4 Dr.YLR,J Crl.P.No.5762 of 2026 Dated 21.07.2026 6. In view of the specific overt acts attributed against the petitioner, this Court is not inclined to grant pre-arrest bail to the petitioner, as it would amount to giving a shield, or protection or license to the petitioner who had allegedly caused severe injuries to the victim, as per the judgments of the Hon’ble Apex Court in Gurbaksh Singh Sibbia v. State of Panjab1 and Sushila Aggarwal v. State of (NCT of Delhi)2. 7. Having regard to the facts and circumstances of the case, the nature and gravity of the allegations, and the material available on record, this Court is not inclined to grant pre-arrest bail to the petitioner. Accordingly, this Court finds no merit in the Criminal Petition, and the same is liable to be dismissed. 8. In the result, the Criminal Petition is dismissed. As a sequel, Miscellaneous petitions, if any pending, shall stand closed. _________________________ DR. Y. LAKSHMANA RAO, J Date: 21.07.2026 RSI Whether the order is : Speaking Yes/No / Reasoned Yes/No Reportable Yes/No / Non-Reportable Yes/No 1(1980) 2 SCC 565 (2020) 5 SCC 1 5 Dr.YLR,J Crl.P.No.5762 of 2026 Dated 21.07.2026 36 THE HONOURABLE DR JUSTICE Y. LAKSHMANA RAO CRIMINAL PETITION NO: 5762 of 2026 21.07.2026 RSI