Sri. Shivakumar. V, v. The State by Surya Nagar Police Station,

IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 22ND DAY OF SEPTEMBER, 2026 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S VISHWAJITH SHETTY CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 14144 OF 2026 BETWEEN:

SRI SHIVAKUMAR. V S/O LATE VEERABHADRAIAH AGED ABOUT 59 YEARS R/AT NO.9, 2ND MAIN THYAGARAJANAGAR SHASTRI NAGAR, OPP TO LIBRARY BENGALURU DISTRICT - 560 070. …PETITIONER (BY SRI H.V. PRAVEEN GOWDA, ADV.) AND:

THE STATE BY SURYA NAGAR POLICE STATION REP. BY STATE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA BENGALURU - 560 009. …RESPONDENT (BY SRI CHANNAPPA ERAPPA, HCGP)

THIS CRL.P IS FILED U/S 439 CR.PC (FILED U/S 483 BNSS) PRAYING TO ENLARGE HIM ON BAIL IN CR.NO.251/2026 OF SURYA NAGAR P.S PENDING ON THE FILE OF THE LEARNED IV ADDL.CIVIL JUDGE AND J.M.F.C, ANEKAL FOR THE OFFENCE P/U/S 316(4),316(5) OF BNS AND SEC.3,6(A),7 OF THE ESSENTIAL COMMODITIES (E.C) ACT AND SEC.3,12,18,19 OF THE PDS CONTROLLING ORDER 1992.

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

CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S VISHWAJITH SHETTY

by NANDINI M S Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA

ORAL ORDER

¶1Accused no.1 in Crime No.251/2026 registered by Suryanagar Police Station, Bengaluru District, for the offences punishable under Sections 316(4), 316(5) of BNS, 2023, Sections 3, 7, 6(A) of Essential Commodities Act, 1955, and Sections 3, 18, 19, 12 of Public Distribution System (Control) Orders, 1992, is before this Court in this petition filed under Section 483 of BNSS, 2023, seeking regular bail.

¶2Heard the learned Counsel for the parties.

¶3FIR in Crime No.251/2026 was registered by Suryanagar Police Station, Bengaluru District, for the aforesaid offences against petitioner and others based on the first information dated 06.08.2026 received from Sowmya.G., Joint Director, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Disputes Department, Bengaluru Urban District. In the said case, petitioner was arrested on 07.08.2026 and remanded to judicial custody. His bail application filed before the jurisdictional Sessions Court in Crl. Misc. No.5440/2026 was rejected on

31.08.2026. Therefore, petitioner is before this Court.

¶4The allegation in the first information is that petitioner who was working as Manager of Karnataka Food and Civil Supplies Corporation Warehouse at Anekal, had not opened the warehouse for three days, and therefore, the Managing Director of the Corporation along with his team inspected the warehouse and found that 3159.75 quintals of rice, 189.38 quintals of ragi and 143.43 quintals of wheat was in shortage in the warehouse. The estimated value of the said grains is mentioned as Rs.86,65,662/-. It is under these circumstances, FIR was registered against the petitioner and other employees of warehouse.

¶5Petitioner was remanded to custody in the present case on 07.08.2026. Major portion of the investigation is already completed. The further proceedings in the present case as against accused nos.3 to 5 has been stayed by the coordinate bench of this Court in Crl.P.No.12508/2026. It is not in dispute that petitioner has no other criminal antecedents. It is brought to the notice of this Court by the learned Counsel that the petitioner is due to retire from service in this month. Considering the aforesaid aspects of the matter, I am of the

opinion that petitioner's prayer for grant of regular bail is required to be answered affirmatively. Accordingly, the following order:

¶6The petition is allowed. The petitioner is directed to be enlarged on bail in Crime No.251/2026 registered by Suryanagar Police Station, Bengaluru District, for the offences punishable under Sections 316(4), 316(5) of BNS, 2023, Sections 3, 7, 6(A) of Essential Commodities Act, 1955, and Sections 3, 18, 19, 12 of Public Distribution System (Control) Orders, 1992, subject to the following conditions: a) Petitioner shall execute personal bond for a sum of Rs.1,00,000/- with two sureties for the likesum, to the satisfaction of the jurisdictional Court;

b) The petitioner shall appear regularly on all the dates of hearing before the Trial Court unless the Trial Court exempts his appearance for valid reasons;

c) The petitioner shall not directly or indirectly threaten or tamper with the prosecution witnesses;

d) The petitioner shall not involve in similar offences in future;

e) The petitioner 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

KK