SRI. MANIRAJ @ STEEFAN vs STATE OF ADUGODI POLICE,

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HC-KAR
NC: 2026:KHC:57194
CRL.P No.14312 of 2026
C/W CRL.P No.15170 of 2026

CNR: KAHC010645512026




IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU


TH
DATED THIS THE 12 DAY OF OCTOBER, 2026

BEFORE

THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S VISHWAJITH SHETTY

CRIMINAL PETITION NO.14312 OF 2026

C/W

CRIMINAL PETITION NO.15170 OF 2026


IN CRL.P No.14312/2026:

BETWEEN:

1. SRI. MANIRAJ @ STEEFAN
S/O MANIVANNAN .P
AGED ABOUT 35 YEARS
R/AT NO.40, SAMPEGEHALLI
NEAR HARALIKETTA, BANARGETTA POST
BANGALORE. 560083.

2. SRI. ABHISHEK @ ABHI @ COLOUR
S/O RAMESH
AGED ABOUT 23 YEARS
R/AT. AYAPPA TEMPLE, OKALIPURAM
SREERAMPURA, BANGALORE 560021.

…PETITIONERS
(BY SMT. RADHIKA M, ADV.,)

AND:

1. STATE OF ADUGODI POLICE
BANGALORE 560030
REP. BY STATE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR
HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA
BANGALORE 560001
…RESPONDENT
(BY SRI. CHANNAPPA ERAPPA, HCGP)










Digitally signed
by NANDINI D
Location: HIGH
COURT OF
KARNATAKA

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HC-KAR
NC: 2026:KHC:57194
CRL.P No.14312 of 2026
C/W CRL.P No.15170 of 2026

CNR: KAHC010645512026



THIS CRL.P IS FILED U/S 439 OF CR.P.C. (FILED U/S 483
BNSS) PRAYING TO ENLARGE THE PETITIONERS ON BAIL IN
C.C.NO.39821/2026 (CR.NO.88/2026) ADUGODI P.S. FOR THE
OFFENCES P/U/S 103, 140(1), 190, 352, 55, 351(2), 3(5), 3(8)
OF BNSS WHICH IS PENDING BEFORE THE LEARNED XXXIX
A.C.J.M BENGALURU CITY OF ADUGODI P.S. BENGALURU IN
THE INTEREST OF JUSTICE.

IN CRL.P NO.15170/2026:

BETWEEN:

1. SHIVA @ SHIVU
S/O LATE MANI
AGED ABOUT 27 YEARS
R/AT NO.10, 6TH CROSS
NEAR PUSHPA BAR, KEMPEGOWDA LAYOUT
RAJIVGHANDHINAGAR, BANGALORE-560058.

...PETITIONER
(BY SRI. SANDEEP H.S. ADV.,)

AND:

1. STATE BY ADUGODI POLICE STATION
REP. BY STATE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR
HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA
BENGALURU-560001.
...RESPONDENT
(BY SRI. CHANNAPPA ERAPPA, HCGPS)

THIS CRL.P IS FILED U/S 439 OF CR.P.C. (U/S 483
BNSS) PRAYING TO ENLARGE HIM ON BAIL IN
CR.NO.88/2026 REGISTERED BY ADUGODI P.S.,
BENGALURU CITY, PENDING BEFORE THE 39th ACJM,
BENGALURU, FOR THE OFFENCES P/U/S 103, 140(1), 190,
352, 55, 351(2), 3(5), 3(8) OF BNS TO MEET THE ENDS OF
JUSTICE.

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CRL.P No.14312 of 2026
C/W CRL.P No.15170 of 2026

CNR: KAHC010645512026



THESE PETITIONS, COMING ON FOR ORDERS, THIS DAY,
ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER:

CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S VISHWAJITH SHETTY

ORAL ORDER

Accused Nos.2 to 4 in Crime No.88/2026 registered
by Adugodi Police Station, Bengaluru City, for offences
punishable under Sections 103, 140(1), 190, 351(2), 352,
55, 3(5), 3(8) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS),
2023, are before this Court in these two petitions filed
under Section 483 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha
Sanhita, 2023, seeking regular bail.


2. Heard the learned counsel for the parties.


3. FIR in Crime No.88/2026 was registered by
Adugodi Police Station, Bengaluru, for the offences
punishable under Sections 109, 140(1), 190, 352, 55 and
351(2) of the BNS, 2023, against Kiran and others, based
on the first information dated 25.03.2026 received from
Smt.Mageshwari, who is the deceased in the present case.
During the course of investigation, accused Nos.2 and 3

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NC: 2026:KHC:57194
CRL.P No.14312 of 2026
C/W CRL.P No.15170 of 2026

CNR: KAHC010645512026



were arrested on 26.03.2026 and accused No.4 was
arrested on 07.05.2026. After completing the
investigation, charge sheet is filed against six persons.
Petitioners herein are arrayed as accused Nos.2 to 4 in the
charge sheet and their bail application filed before the
jurisdictional Sessions Court were rejected. Therefore,
they are before this Court.


4. Material on record goes to show that accused
No.1 Kiran is the son of accused Nos.5 and 6. Accused
No.2 is the brother of accused No.1. It appears that
accused No.1 was in love with CW3 - Charulatha, who
subsequently got married and had left her husband. It
appears that after Charulatha had left her husband, she
was staying with accused No.1 and his family members for
some time and thereafter she had left his company and
had taken shelter in her parents house. Since,
Smt.Mageshwari, who is the grandmother of Charulatha
was not well, it appears that Charulatha was staying in her

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CRL.P No.14312 of 2026
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grandmother’s house to take care of her. After accused
persons came to know about the same, on 25.03.2026,
they came to the house of Smt.Mageshwari and enquired
about CW3 Charulatha. Smt.Mageshwari allegedly had not
given any information about Charulatha to the accused.


5. Accused Nos.1 to 4 are the persons, who had
entered the house of Smt.Mageshwari on 25.03.2026.
Since, accused No.1 - Kiran heard some sound in the
bathroom, he tried to go towards the said bathroom, but
Smt.Mageshwari tried to stop him, at that time, CW3 -
Charulatha came out of the bathroom. Thereafter, accused
persons allegedly had assaulted Smt.Mageshwari with
weapons, when she tried to prevent the accused persons
from taking CW3 - Charulatha along with them. In the said
incident, Smt.Mageshwari had suffered injuries and she
was immediately shifted to hospital and based on her
statement, FIR was registered against Kiran and others for

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CRL.P No.14312 of 2026
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the offences punishable under Sections 109, 140(1), 190,
352, 55, 351(2) of BNS, 2023.


6. Smt.Mageshwari, who was admitted in a private
hospital on 25.03.2026, was subsequently discharged from
the said hospital on 30.03.2026. The medical records of
the private hospital in which Smt.Mageshwari was
admitted and discharged would go to show that at the
time of discharge, her wounds had healed and she was fit
for discharge. In the medical records of Smt.Mageshwari,
it is mentioned as under:
“Patient was admitted with the above mentioned
complaints necessary investigations were done.
Wound wash was given and lacerations were
sutured under aspectic precautions. Patient was
managed conservatively with an above elbow slab.
Dressing for wounds was done. Patient was
mobilizing well, symptomatically better and fit for
discharge.”


7. The post-mortem report of Smt.Mageshwari
would go to show that she had suffered ten (10) injuries

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on her body and all the said injuries are found on her
hands and legs. The injuries suffered by her in the alleged
incident were not on the vital parts of her body. The
further statement of Smt.Mageshwari was recorded in the
present case after she was discharged from the hospital on
30.03.2026. It appears that Smt.Mageshwari, who was
discharged from the hospital, was subsequently admitted
in the hospital on 12.04.2026 and at about 02:20 a.m. on
12.04.2026, she had died in the said hospital while
undergoing treatment. The post-mortem report of
Smt.Mageshwari now made available to this Court by the
Learned HCGP would go to show that the death was due to
pulmonary thrombus and bronchopneumonia consequent
to injuries sustained.


8. The material on record would go to show that
the family of deceased and the family of accused Nos.1 to
6 are all closely related. Accused Nos.5 and 6 have been

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CRL.P No.14312 of 2026
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CNR: KAHC010645512026



granted bail by this Court in Crl.P.No.8026/2026 c/w
Crl.P.No.7031/2026 vide order dated 16.07.2026.


9. Considering the background in which the
incident in question had taken place and also the cause of
death of deceased Smt.Mageshwari as found in the post-
mortem report, I am of the opinion that prayer made by
the petitioners for grant of regular bail needs to be
answered in the affirmative. Accordingly, the following:
ORDER
allowed
(i) The Criminal Petitions are . The
petitioners are directed to be enlarged on bail in Crime
No.88/2026 registered by Adugodi Police Station,
Bengaluru City, for offences punishable under Sections
103, 140(1), 190, 351(2), 352, 55, 3(5), 3(8) of the
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, subject to the
following conditions:
a) Petitioners shall execute a personal bond for
a sum of Rs.1,00,000/- each with two sureties

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CRL.P No.14312 of 2026
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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;
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


BSR
List No.: 1 Sl No.: 66