Karnataka High Court grants anticipatory bail to four officials in alleged fraud involving 414 land allotments for project-affected families

Hassan City Police registered Crime No. 157/2019 against unknown persons on the basis of a report dated 24 October 2019 concerning allegedly fraudulent allotments of land reserved for land losers of the Hemavathi River Project.

The report stated that 414 such cases had been identified for the period from 1 January 2015 to 30 November 2018.

In 2026, the Deputy Commissioner directed an enquiry concerning 141 persons who had worked in the Revenue Department during 2015–2019; the petitioners, Revenue Department officials, apprehended arrest.

After their anticipatory-bail applications were rejected by the Sessions Court, they petitioned the High Court.

They sought anticipatory bail in connection with offences under Sections 465, 468 and 420 IPC, among other provisions stated in the petition.

Whether the petitioners were entitled to anticipatory bail in Crime No. 157/2019.

Whether anticipatory bail should be granted to the petitioners on the ground of parity with other Revenue Department officials who had obtained relief in similar petitions.

The petition invoked Section 438 CrPC, described in the petition as corresponding to Section 482 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023; the oral order itself refers to Section 482 of the “BNS, 2023”.

The alleged offences considered in the order were Sections 465, 468 and 420 IPC.

The Court applied the principle of parity, noting that anticipatory-bail petitions by other officials working in the Revenue Department at Hassan during 2015–2019 had been allowed in similar circumstances.

The order does not set out a separate statutory test for anticipatory bail or discuss the other provisions listed in the petition.

The Court noted that the case arose from allegations of fraudulent land allotments and that the petitioners apprehended arrest following the Deputy Commissioner’s enquiry direction.

It then relied on its prior orders granting anticipatory bail to similarly situated Revenue Department officials in related petitions.

On that basis, it concluded that the present petition should also be allowed on parity, without separately analysing the allegations or the petitioners’ individual roles.

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 sum; regularly attend the Trial Court unless exempted for valid reasons; refrain from tampering with prosecution witnesses; cooperate with the investigation and appear when called; and not engage in similar offences in future.