Karnataka High Court
Sandeep S/O Laxman Jindrali vs State Of Karnataka on 23 September, 2025
Author: S.Vishwajith Shetty
Bench: S.Vishwajith Shetty
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NC: 2025:KHC-D:12917
CRL.A No. 100609 of 2025
HC-KAR
IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA, AT DHARWAD
DATED THIS THE 23RD DAY OF SEPTEMBER, 2025
BEFORE
THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE S.VISHWAJITH SHETTY
CRIMINAL APPEAL NO. 100609 OF 2025
(U/S 14 A(2) OF SC AND ST ACT)
BETWEEN:
SANDEEP S/O LAXMAN JINDRALI,
AGED ABOUT 27 YEARS,
R/O. ANNABEGUM, HUKKERI,
TQ. HUKKERI, DIST. BELAGAVI-590 028.
... APPELLANT
(BY SRI. SRINIVAS NAIK, ADVOCATE)
AND:
1. STATE OF KARNATAKA,
REPRESENTED BY STATE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR,
HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA, DHARWAD BENCH,
THROUGH SANKESHWAR POLICE STATION,
HUKKERI CIRCLE, BELAGAVI DISTRICT-580 011.
2. SMT. SANGEETA W/O BABU HANUMANTAGOL,
AGED ABOUT 43 YEARS, R/O. AMMANAGI VILLAGE,
TQ. HUKKERI, DIST. BELAGAVI-590 028.
... RESPONDENTS
RAKESH S (BY SMT. KIRTILATA R. PATIL, HCGP FOR R1;
HARIHAR R2-SERVED)
Digitally signed by
RAKESH S HARIHAR
Location: HIGH COURT
OF KARNATAKA
DHARWAD BENCH THIS CRIMINAL APPEAL IS FILED UNDER SECTION 14A(2) OF
SC/ST (POA) ACT, 1989, PRAYING TO SET ASIDE THE ORDER DATED
14/08/2025 PASSED BY THE III ADDITIONAL SESSIONS JUDGE,
BELAGAVI, IN CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS NO.873/2025 (CRIME
NO.113/2025 OF SANKESHWAR POLICE STATION), FOR THE
OFFENCES PUNISHABLE UNDER SECTION 108 OF BNS 2023 AND
3(2)(V) OF SC/ST ACT WHEREIN THE BAIL APPLICATION FILED BY THE
APPELLANT UNDER 483 OF BNSS IS REJECTED AND CONSEQUENTLY,
ALLOW THE APPEAL AND ENLARGE THE APPELLANT/ACCUSED ON
REGULAR BAIL IN CRIME NO.113/2025 OF SANKESHWAR POLICE
STATION, FOR THE OFFENCES UNDER SECTION 108 OF BNS 2023,
AND UNDER SECTION 3(2)(V) OF THE SC/ST (PREVENTION OF
ATROCITIES) AMENDMENT ACT 2015.
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NC: 2025:KHC-D:12917
CRL.A No. 100609 of 2025
HC-KAR
THIS APPEAL COMING ON FOR ORDERS, THIS DAY, JUDGMENT
IS DELIVERED THEREIN AS UNDER:
ORAL JUDGMENT
(PER: THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE S.VISHWAJITH SHETTY)
1. Accused in Crime No.113 of 2025 registered by Sankeshwar Police Station, Belagavi district, for offence punishable under Section 108 of BNS 2023 and Section 3(2)(v) of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act, 2015, is before this Court in this appeal filed under Section 14A(2) of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act, 2015, seeking regular bail.
2. Heard learned counsel for the appellant and learned HCGP for respondent No.1. Respondent No.2 who is the mother of the deceased is served and un-represented before this Court.
3. FIR in Crime No.113 of 2025 was registered by Sankeshwar Police Station, Belagavi district, for the aforesaid offences against the appellant herein based on the -3- NC: 2025:KHC-D:12917 CRL.A No. 100609 of 2025 HC-KAR first information dated 20.06.2025 received from respondent No.2, who is the mother of deceased Suprita Babu Hanumantagol, aged about 21 years. During the course of investigation, the appellant was arrested in the present case on 20.06.2025 and subsequently remanded to judicial custody. His bail application filed before the Jurisdictional Sessions Court in Criminal Misc.No.873 of 2025 was rejected on 14.08.2025. Therefore, he is before this Court.
4. Perusal of the averments found in the first information would go to show that the deceased belonged to scheduled caste and appellant allegedly belong to higher caste. Appellant and the deceased were in love for a period of more than 2 years and appellant allegedly had assured to the deceased that he will marry her. Subsequently, appellant refused to marry the deceased for the reason that she belongs to schedule caste and therefore his parents were not willing to perform their marriage. On 20.06.2025 deceased had committed suicide in her house by hanging -4- NC: 2025:KHC-D:12917 CRL.A No. 100609 of 2025 HC-KAR herself and it is under these circumstances FIR was registered against the appellant for the aforesaid offences.
5. Investigation of the case is now completed and charge sheet is filed against the appellant for the aforesaid offences. Even in the charge sheet it is alleged that appellant and deceased were in love and subsequently he had refused to marry her for the reason that she belongs to scheduled caste and his parents will not be agreeing for their marriage. It is further alleged in the charge sheet that on 20.06.2025 at about 11.00 a.m., deceased had met appellant and they had quarrelled with each other after the appellant refused to marry the deceased. It is also alleged that appellant had assaulted deceased with his hand on her temple region and thereafter she had returned home and had committed suicide by hanging herself at about 15.30 hours.
6. From the averments found in the first information as well as in the charge sheet, it is apparent -5- NC: 2025:KHC-D:12917 CRL.A No. 100609 of 2025 HC-KAR that appellant and respondent were in love for a considerable period of more than 2 years and it appears that since the parents of the appellant were not willing to perform their marriage, the relationship between the parties had strained. Merely for the reason that in the quarrel that had taken place on 20.06.2025, the appellant had assaulted the deceased on her temple region with his hands, it cannot be said that he had instigated or abetted her to commit suicide. Appellant, who has no other criminal antecedent, is in custody for the last nearly 3 months. The investigation is completed and allegations found in the charge sheet are required to be proved against the appellant in a full fledged trial. The alleged offence is not punishable with life imprisonment or death sentence. Under the circumstances, I am of the opinion that the prayer made by the appellant is to be answered in the affirmative. Accordingly, the following:
ORDER i. Criminal Appeal is allowed. -6-
NC: 2025:KHC-D:12917 CRL.A No. 100609 of 2025 HC-KAR ii. The order dated 14.08.2025 passed by the III Additional District and Sessions Judge, Belagavi in Criminal Misc.No.873/2025 is hereby set aside and the appellant is directed to be enlarged on bail in Crime No.113 of 2025 registered by Sankeshwar Police Station, Belagavi district, for offence punishable under Section 108 of BNS 2023 and Section 3(2)(v) of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act, 2015, subject to the following conditions:
a. The appellant shall execute personal bond for a sum of Rs.1,00,000/- with 2 sureties for the likesum to the satisfaction of the jurisdictional Court;
b. The appellant shall appear regularly on all the dates of hearing before the Trial Court unless -7- NC: 2025:KHC-D:12917 CRL.A No. 100609 of 2025 HC-KAR the Trial Court exempts his appearance for valid reasons;
c. The appellant shall not directly or indirectly threaten or tamper with the prosecution witnesses;
d. The appellant shall not involve in similar offences in future.
e. The appellant shall not leave the jurisdiction of the Trial Court without permission of the said Court until the case registered against him is disposed off.
Sd/-
(S.VISHWAJITH SHETTY) JUDGE KGK CT:BCK LIST NO.: 1 SL NO.: 13