[Cites 3, Cited by 0]
Karnataka High Court
H S Shashidhara vs State Of Karnataka on 20 January, 2026
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CRL.A No. 26 of 2026
HC-KAR
IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU
DATED THIS THE 20TH DAY OF JANUARY, 2026
BEFORE
THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE G BASAVARAJA
CRIMINAL APPEAL NO. 26 OF 2026 (U/S 14(A) (2))
BETWEEN:
1. H S SHASHIDHARA
S/O H.N. SHIVALINGAIAH,
AGED ABOUT 57 YEARS,
R/O TEACHERS COLONY,
14TH MAIN ROAD,
MADDUR TOWN TALUK,
MANDYA DISTRICT-571428.
...APPELLANT
(BY SRI. ARUNACHALAM SHIVAKUMAR.,ADVOCATE)
AND:
1. STATE OF KARNATAKA
BY MADDUR POLICE STATION,
MANDYA DISTRICT,
REPRESENTED BY STATE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR,
HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA,
Digitally signed by
BENGALURU-01.
LAKSHMINARAYAN N
Location: High Court of
Karnataka 2. SMT. MANGALAGOWRI,
W/O SIDDAIAH,
AGED ABOUT 43 YEARS,
R/O TEACHERS COLONY,
MADDUR TOWN TALUK,
MANDYA DISTRICT-571428.
...RESPONDENTS
(BY SRI. B.LAKSHMAN.,HCGP FOR R1
R2 SERVED AND UNREPRESENTED)
THIS CRL.A. IS FILED U/S.14(A) (2) OF SC/ST (POA)
ACT, 2015 BY THE ADVOCATE FOR THE APPELLANT/S PRAYING
THAT THIS HONBLE COURT MAY BE PLEASED TO ALLOW THIS
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CRL.A No. 26 of 2026
HC-KAR
CRIMINAL APPEAL BY SETTING ASIDE ORDER DATED
30.12.2025 IN CRL.MISC.NO.1025/2025 PASSED BY THE
COURT OF V ADDL DISTRICT AND SESSIONS JUDGE, MANDYA
AND FURTHER PRAYS TO RELEASE THE APPELLANT IN THE
EVENT OF ARREST IN CRIME NO.309/2025 OF MADDUR POLICE
STATION, MANDYA DISTRICT FOR OFFENCE P/US/
69,318(4),329(4),351(2) R/W SEC.3(5) OF BNS 2023 AND
SEC.3(1)(w)(i)(ii),3(2)(v) AND 3(2)(va) OF SC/ST (POA) ACT
PENDING ON THE FILE OF THE V ADDL DISTRICT AND
SESSIONS JUDGE, MANDYA.
THIS APPEAL, COMING ON FOR ORDERS, THIS DAY,
JUDGMENT WAS DELIVERED THEREIN AS UNDER:
CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE G BASAVARAJA
ORAL JUDGMENT
1. The appellant has preferred this appeal against the
order dated 30.12.2025 passed in Crl.Misc.No.1025/2025
by the V Additional District and Sessions Judge, Mandya
(for short 'the trial Court').
2. For the sake of convenience, the parties herein are
referred to their rank before the trial Court.
3. Brief facts leading to this appeal are that, on the
basis of complaint filed by the complainant, Maddur Police
have registered case in Crime No.309/2025 against the
accused and other unknown persons for the commission of
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offence under sections 69, 318(4), 329(4), 351(2) r/w
3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and sections
3(1)(w)(i)(ii), 3(2)(v), 3(2)(va) of the SC & ST (Prevention
of Atrocities) Amendment Act, 2015.
4. The appellant has filed application under Section 482
of BNSS, 2023 for grant of Anticipatory Bail. Same came
to be dismissed. Being aggrieved by dismissal of bail
application, the appellant has filed this appeal.
5. Learned counsel for the appellant would submit that
the appellant is innocent. He has not committed any
offence as alleged against him. The appellant had been
falsely implicated in the above case by the complainant.
The entire prosecution case is found on the allegation that
a married woman, whose marriage was admittedly
subsisting, had physical relationship with the appellant on
a promise of marriage. By no stretch of imagination can
such an allegation constitute offence under Section 69 of
BNS, 2023 as there cannot be legally or factually valid
promise of marriage to a married woman. The very
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foundation of the allegation is absurd and untenable. The
complaint suffers from gross, inordinate and unexplained
delay.
6. The alleged incident is stated to be taken place first
on 15.04.2022 and last incident on 06.05.2025. Whereas
the FIR was lodged only on 11.12.2025. After lapse of
nearly four years from the date of alleged inception. No
explanation whatsoever is offered for such abnormal delay
which strikes at the root of the prosecution case and
clearly indicates that complaint is only an after-thought.
The complaint does not specify the exact caste related
words allegedly used by the appellant. A vague allegation
that the appellant abused respondent No.2 by taking her
caste, is legally insufficient to attract the penal provisions
of SC & ST (POA) Act, 1989. The complaint does not
disclose any intention on the part of the appellant to insult
or humiliate respondent No.2 on the ground of her caste.
At best, the allegation arises out of personal and private
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dispute which cannot be brought within the ambit of SC/ST
(POA) Act, 1989.
7. The complaint itself discloses regarding prior financial
transaction and dispute between the appellant and the
husband of respondent No.2. The impugned FIR is clearly
a counterblast to such disputes and is lodged with
malafide intention to harass the complainant by invoking
stringent provision of law. The impugned FIR has been
lodged with an oblique motive to pressurize the appellant
and deprive him of his liberty by mechanically invoking
non-bailable and stringent provisions. Continuation of the
proceedings, would amount to a clear abuse of the process
of law.
8. The appellant is a teacher by profession with an
unblemished service record. Permitting the investigation
to continue on the basis of vague, improbable, illegal and
untenable allegations, would cause irreparable injury to his
reputation. On all these grounds, it is sought for allowing
this appeal.
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9. I have examined the materials placed before this
Court. On the basis of the complaint filed by Mangalagowri
aged about 43 years, Maddur Police have registered case
in Crime No.309/2025 against the appellant and other
unknown persons for the commission of offence under
sections 69, 318(4), 329(4), 351(2) r/w 3(5) of the
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and sections 3(1)(w)(i)(ii),
3(2)(v), 3(2)(va) of the SC & ST (Prevention of Atrocities)
Amendment Act, 2015. In the complaint, it is stated as
under:
" ಾ ಈ ಮೂಲಕ ತಮ ೇ ೊಳ ವ ೇ ೆಂದ ೆ, ಮಂಗಳ ೌ !ಾದ
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Rಾತ ಾ?S ಪ ಚಯ Rಾ?ರುPಾJ ೆ. ತದ ನಂತರ EೆF.ಎ5. ಶ%ಧರ
ಎಂಬುವರ ನಮ ಮ ೆ ೆ ಬಂದು Eೋಗುವ ದು ಸ ಯCೆ'. T ಾಂಕ: 15-04-
2022 ರಂದು ಾನು ೆಲಸ ಮು+S ಮ ೆ ೆ ಬಂದು ಒಬV*ೆ ಬWೆ' ಬದ ಸುವ
ಸಮಯದ ನಮ ಮ ೆ ೆ ಬಂದು ರೂ ನ Kಾ+ಲ ಸಂTಯ ¥sÉÆmÉÆ ಮತುJ
B?Yೕ Rಾ?ರುPಾJ ೆ. ನನ ೆ ಇದು ೊ)Jರುವ Tಲ. ಆ [ೕWೊ ಮತುJ
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B?Yೕ Pೋ S 8ೕನು ನನ- (ೊPೆ ೈLಕ ಸಂಪಕ6ವನು- Eೊಂದು
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ೇ S ¤£Àß .ೕವನ ಪjಯಂತ ೋ? ೊಳ PೆJೕ ೆ ಎಂದು ನಂhS
T ಾಂಕ:23-04-2022 ರಂದು ಸಂ(ೆ 7-00 ಗಂWೆ ಸಮಯದ EೆF.ಎ5.
ಶ%ಧi ರವರು ನjಮ ಮ ೆ ೆ ಬಂದು, ನನ- (ೊPೆ ೈLಕ ಸಂಪಕð
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[ೕa ನಂಬi Kಾl Rಾ?ರುPಾJ ೆ. T ಾಂಕ: 06/05/2025 ರಂದು ನನ-
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mಾnೆಯ ಮುಂTನ S.S. ಾHಮರದ ೆ ೆ!ಾ+ರುತJ ೆ. T ಾಂಕ:07/05/25
ರಂದು b ೕ5 mಾnೆಯ ಕಂ/ೇಂ^ ೊ3'ರುPೆJೕ@ೆ. T ಾಂಕ:09/05/25
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§AzÀÄ zÀÆgÀÄ ¤ÃrgÀÄvÉÛãÉ."
10. Learned counsel for the appellant has produced the
copy of acknowledgment issued by concerned police,
which reveals that prior to 6 months from the date of filing
of this complaint i.e., on 12.06.2025 the wife of present
appellant had filed a complaint against the present
complainant stating that, on 12.06.2025, the present
complainant had abused the present appellant in a filthy
language while he was walking and threatened him that
she will file case against him under the SC/ST (POA) Act.
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The police have issued endorsement as the alleged
averments made in the complaint are non-cognizable. The
endorsement issued by the Sub-Inspector of Police,
Maddur Police Station, Mandya District reveals that,
regarding the complaint filed by the present appellant, the
police have summoned the present complainant and
advised her not to pick-up any quarrel with the present
appellant. Another acknowledgment issued by the
Sub-Inspector of Police, Besagarahalli Town, Maddur
Taluk, Mandya reveals that the appellant's wife Saraswathi
had filed a complaint against present complainant on
12.06.2025, as to the dispute regarding financial matter
and also abused her in filthy language. In this regard on
19.06.2025, the concerned police have issued an
endorsement that the matter is civil in nature and non-
cognizable. Same is also produced. The materials placed
before this court reveal that, prior to 6 months from the
date of present complaint, there was a dispute between
the complainant, appellant and appellant's wife. The
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complaint does not reveals as to the specific abusive
words used by referring caste.
11. At this stage, there are no prima facie materials to
constitute the offence under the penal provisions of the
SC/ST (POA) Act, 1989. The commission of alleged
offences are not punishable with death or imprisonment
for life. Considering the nature and gravity of offence,
previous litigation between the complainant and appellant
and inordinate delay in filing the complaint, it is just and
proper to allow this appeal. Accordingly, I proceed to pass
the following:
ORDER
(i) Appeal is allowed;
(ii) The order dated 30.12.2025 passed in
Crl.Misc.No.1025/2025 by the V Additional District and
Sessions Judge, Mandya, is set aside. Consequently, the
bail application filed under Section 482 of BNSS, 2023 is
allowed subject to following conditions:
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a. The appellant shall be released on bail on
executing self bond of Rs.1,00,000/- with one
surety for likesum to the satisfaction of the
Investigating Officer, in the event of his arrest in
Crime No.309/2025 of Maddur Police Station;
b. The appellant shall assist the Investigating
Officer, for his investigation;
c. The appellant shall not tamper or threaten
the prosecution witness in any manner;
d. The appellant shall not indulge in similar
offence;
Registry is directed to send copy of this order to the
concerned Court for taking necessary action.
Sd/-
(G BASAVARAJA)
JUDGE
DHA
List No.: 1 Sl No.: 24
