Balaji Tipanna Karli vs State of Maharashtra — Bombay HC (2025) — LawSathi Research

Balaji Tipanna Karli vs State of Maharashtra — Bombay HC (2025) — LawSathi Research

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Anticipatory bail granted: on arrest in connection with C.R. No. 168 of 2023, release on furnishing P.R. Bond of Rs. 1,00,000/- with one or two solvent sureties in the like amount, subject to periodical police-station attendance, cooperation with investigation, and restraint conditions (contact details, no inducement/tampering/influencing, no leaving India without permission).

Issue for consideration

Whether anticipatory (pre-arrest) bail should be granted to the Applicant, Balaji Tipanna Karli (Accused No. 4), in connection with C.R. No. 168 of 2023 registered with Chikhali Police Station, Pimpri-Chinchwad.

Court's answer

The Court concluded that a case is made out for grant of Anticipatory Bail to the Applicant by imposing certain conditions.

Ratio / Principle

In the event of arrest of the Applicant in connection with C.R. No. 168 of 2023 registered with Chikhali Police Station, the Applicant is to be released on bail on furnishing a P.R. Bond of Rs. 1,00,000/- with one or two solvent sureties in the like amount.

Key takeaways

Release is conditioned on: attendance at the concerned Police Station on 16th, 17th and 18th October 2025 and every Sunday thereafter between 11:00 a.m. to 02:00 p.m. with cooperation in the investigation; furnishing of cell phone number and residential address (kept updated); no inducement, threat or promise to any person acquainted with the facts; no tampering with prosecution evidence and no contacting or influencing the Complainant or witnesses; and no leaving India without prior permission of the Court.ratio¶34

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Anticipatory bail granted to Balaji Tipanna Karli (Accused No. 4) by the Bombay High Court (Madhav J. Jamdar, J., 09.10.2025) in connection with C.R. No. 168 of 2023 (registered 15.03.2023, Chikhali Police Station, Pimpri-Chinchwad) under Sections 188, 272, 273, 328 IPC and Section 30(2)(a) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. An earlier application (ABA No. 3011 of 2023) had carried interim protection from 30.10.2023, continued from time to time, and was permitted to be withdrawn on 23.09.2025 with liberty to file afresh as antecedents had not been disclosed; the present application discloses six antecedents, in two of which the Applicant has been acquitted. Chargesheet stands filed against Accused Nos. 1-3; Accused Nos. 5 and 6 are already on bail. Prosecution case: police checking of scrap shops on 15.03.2023 led to seizure of cash of Rs. 4,43,000/- from a two-wheeler dickey and contraband worth Rs. 9.5 lakhs from a tempo, said to have been purchased from the Applicant. Release ordered on a P.R. Bond of Rs. 1,00,000/- with one or two solvent sureties, conditioned on attendance at the police station on 16-18 October 2025 and every Sunday thereafter (11:00 a.m.-02:00 p.m.), cooperation with investigation, furnishing of updated contact details, non-tampering and non-influencing of complainant/witnesses, and no departure from India without prior permission of the Court.

932-ABA-2818-2025.DOC

Akash Tayde

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY

CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION

ANTICIPATORY BAIL APPLICATION NO. 2818 OF 2025

Balaji Tipanna Karli …Applicant Versus The State of Maharashtra …Respondent

Mr. Pranav Pokale a/w Chinmay Sawant and Adity Bagal, for the Applicant.

Mr. S.M. Mangaonkar, APP, for the Respondent-State. Mr.Akshay S. Shilimkar, PSI, attached to Chikhali Police Station, Pune, present.

CORAM: MADHAV J. JAMDAR, J. DATED : 09^th OCTOBER 2025

PC:-

Heard Mr. Pokale, learned Counsel appearing for the

Applicant and Mr. Mangaonkar, learned APP appearing for the Respondent-State.

The Applicant is seeking pre-arrest bail in connection with C.R. No.168 of 2023 registered on 15^th March 2023 with Chikhali Police Station, Pimpri-Chinchwad under Sections 188, 272, 273, 328 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 and under Section 30(2) (a) of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

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Mr. Pranav Pokale, learned Counsel appearing for the Applicant states that the Applicant has filed earlier Anticipatory Bail Application No. 3011 of 2023. A learned Single Judge by order dated 30^th October 2023 has granted interim protection. He further submits that the Applicant is ready and willing to cooperate with the investigation. He submits that chargesheet is already filed against Accused Nos. 1 to 3. The present Applicant is Accused No.4, Accused Nos. 5 & 6 are already released on bail. He submits that the issue regarding applicability of Section 328 of the Indian Penal Code in case of present nature is pending in the Supreme Court and other offences are bailable offences. He further, submits that although, there are six antecedents, as far as two antecedents are concerned, the Applicant has been acquitted in those offences

On the other hand Mr. Mangaonkar, learned APP strongly opposes the Anticipatory Bail. He submits that the offence is very serious, there are six antecedents and therefore the Applicant may not released on Anticipatory Bail.

As per the prosecution case the Complainant is a Police Officer. Complainant and other Police Staff were checking the

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scrap shops on 15^th March 2023, at that time they saw one two wheeler and tempo and considering the conduct of the drivers, the Police nabbed them. During enquiry they found cash of Rs.4,43,000/- in the dickey of the said two wheeler vehicle and also found contraband articles worth of Rs.9.5 lacks in the said tempo. During the enquiry the said Accused persons stated that the said contraband articles were purchased from the present Applicant.

Perusal of the record shows that a learned Single Judge has granted interim protection by order dated 30^th October 2023 in Anticipatory Bail Application No.3011 of 2023. The said interim protection has been continued from time to time. By order dated 23^rd September 2025 this Court granted leave to withdraw the said Anticipatory Bail Application No.3011 of 2023 with liberty to file fresh Anticipatory Bail Application as antecedents were not disclosed. Accordingly, the present Anticipatory Bail Application is filed by disclosing the details of the antecedents.

Perusal of the record further shows that chargesheet is already filed against Accused Nos. 1 to 3. The Applicant states that

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the Applicant will cooperate with the investigation. Although, there six antecedents the Applicant has been acquitted in two cases in another cases the chargesheet is filed.

Accordingly, the case is made out for grant of Anticipatory

Bail by imposing certain conditions. In view thereof, the following order is passed:

O R D E R

(a) In the event of arrest of the Applicant - Balaji Tipanna Karli in connection with C.R. No. 168 of 2023 registered with the Chikhali Police Station, the Applicant is directed to be released on bail on his furnishing P.R. Bond in the sum of Rs.1,00,000/- with one or two solvent sureties in the like amount.

(b) The Applicant shall attend the concerned Police Station on 16^th October 2025, 17^th October 2025 and 18^th October 2025 between 11:00 a.m. to 02:00 p.m. and thereafter the Applicant shall attend concerned Police Station on every Sunday between 11:00 a.m. to 02:00 p.m. and shall cooperate with the investigation.

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In addition, the Applicant shall attend the concerned Police Station as and when called.

(c) The Applicant shall furnish his cell phone number and residential address to the Investigating Officer and shall keep the same updated, in case of any change thereto.

(d) The Applicant shall not directly or indirectly make any inducement, threat, or promise to any person acquainted with the facts of the case so as to dissuade such a person from disclosing the facts to the Court or to any Police personnel.

(e) The Applicant shall not tamper with the prosecution evidence and shall not contact or influence the Complainant or any witness in any manner.

(f) The Applicant shall not leave India without prior permission of the Court.

The Anticipatory Bail Application is disposed of accordingly.

[MADHAV J. JAMDAR, J.]

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