20 revenue officials get anticipatory bail in alleged 414-case land-grant fraud in Hassan

The petitioners sought anticipatory bail in Crime No. 157/2019, registered against unknown persons on a complaint alleging fraudulent grants of land reserved for persons displaced by the Hemavathi River Project.

The first information stated that 414 cases of allegedly fraudulent grants to undeserving persons, involving revenue officials and other persons, had been traced for the period 1 January 2015 to 30 November 2018.

The alleged offences were under Sections 465, 468 and 420 of the IPC, Section 192(a)(1)–(3) of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act, 1964, and Section 4(1)–(3) of the Karnataka Land Grabbing Prohibition Act, 2007.

After the Sessions Court rejected their anticipatory-bail application, the petitioners approached the High Court, undertaking to cooperate with the investigation.

They relied on a recent order granting anticipatory bail to similarly situated accused persons; the State did not dispute that submission.

1. Whether the petitioners were entitled to anticipatory bail in Crime No. 157/2019, having regard to the order granting bail to similarly situated accused persons and their undertaking to cooperate with the investigation.

2. Whether anticipatory bail should be made subject to conditions requiring the petitioners to appear before the Investigating Officer, cooperate with the investigation, and attend court.

The petition was considered under Section 482 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, which provides for anticipatory bail.

The alleged offences arose under Sections 465, 468 and 420 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, Section 192(a)(1)–(3) of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act, 1964, and Section 4(1)–(3) of the Karnataka Land Grabbing Prohibition Act, 2007.

The Court applied the reasoning in its order dated 28 September 2026 in the listed connected criminal petitions, which had considered the allegations, bail granted to similarly placed accused, the petitioners’ cooperation undertaking and the maximum punishment of seven years.

The Court found that its reasoning in the earlier order granting anticipatory bail to similarly situated accused applied equally to these petitioners.

The petitioners had undertaken to cooperate with the police, and the maximum punishment for the alleged offences was seven years.

The Court therefore granted anticipatory bail, subject to conditions intended to secure the petitioners’ availability and cooperation during the investigation and trial.

Each petitioner must appear before the Investigating Officer within 15 days of receiving the order and execute a personal bond of ₹1,00,000 with two sureties for the like amount; they must regularly attend the Trial Court unless exempted, cooperate with the investigation, appear when called, refrain from tampering with prosecution witnesses, and not commit similar offences in future.