Ravi S M Vs State of Karnataka — Bail and Remand | Karnataka HC (2025)

Ravi S M Vs State of Karnataka — Bail and Remand | Karnataka HC (2025)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Petitioners enlarged on regular bail in Crime No.91/2025 subject to conditions: personal bond of Rs.1,00,000/- each with two sureties for the likesum; regular appearance before the Trial Court unless exempted; no direct or indirect threatening of or tampering with prosecution witnesses; no involvement in similar offences; no leaving the Trial Court's jurisdiction without permission until disposal of the case.

Issue for consideration

Whether accused nos.1 & 2 in Crime No.91/2025, registered for the offence punishable under Section 108 of BNS, 2023, are entitled to regular bail under Section 483 of BNSS, 2023.

Court's answer

The alleged abuse of the deceased by accused nos.1 & 2 over the unauthorised transfer of Rs.10,000/- through Phonepe from the mobile phone of Pavithra (wife of accused no.1) to the deceased cannot itself be considered as an abetment or instigation for the deceased to commit suicide.

Ratio / Principle

On the above reasoning, the Court concluded that the petitioners' prayer for grant of bail needed to be answered affirmatively.

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Karnataka High Court (Bengaluru), oral order dated 10.06.2025 by S Vishwajith Shetty J in CRL.P No. 7160 of 2025 under Section 483 of BNSS, 2023: Regular bail granted to accused nos.1 & 2 (Ravi S.M and Tejas R) of Crime No.91/2025, Thirumalashettihalli Police Station, charged under Section 108 of BNS, 2023 (abetment of suicide of Geethanjali). The Court held that the abuse of the deceased by the accused over an unauthorised Rs.10,000/- Phonepe transfer made from the mobile phone of Pavithra, wife of accused no.1, to the deceased's phone cannot itself be considered abetment or instigation to commit suicide; accordingly the petitioners' prayer for bail was answered affirmatively despite rejection of their earlier bail application by the jurisdictional Sessions Court in Crl. Misc. No.787/2025 on 12.05.2025. Bail subject to personal bond of Rs.1,00,000/- each with two sureties for the likesum and standard conditions (appearance, no witness tampering, no similar offences, no leaving Trial Court jurisdiction without permission).

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NC: 2025:KHC:19797 CRL.P No. 7160 of 2025

HC-KAR

IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU

DATED THIS THE 10^TH DAY OF JUNE, 2025

BEFORE

THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE S VISHWAJITH SHETTY

CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 7160 OF 2025

BETWEEN:

RAVI S.M S/O LATE MUNIYAPPA AGED ABOUT 40 YEARS.

TEJAS R S/O RAVI R AGED ABOUT 40 YEARS.

BOTH ARE R/AT MALLASANDRA KASABA HOBLI, HOSAKOTE TALUK BENGALURU - 560 067.

…PETITIONERS

(BY SRI RAGHAVENDRA A.V, ADV., FOR

SRI UDAYA KUMAR M, ADV.)

AND:

Digitally signed by NANDINI M S Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA

STATE OF KARNATAKA BY THIRUMALASHREETYHALLI POLICE STATION, BENGALURU RURAL DISTRICT, REP. BY STATE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR, HIGH COURT COMPLEX BENGALURU - 560 001.

…RESPONDENT

(BY SMT. WAHEEDA M.M, HCGP)

THIS CRL.P IS FILED U/S 439 CR.P.C (U/S 483 BNSS) PRAYING TO GRANT REGULAR BAIL TO THE PETITIONERS IN CR.NO.91/2025 REGISTERED BY THE THIRUMALASHETTYHALLI POLICE AGAINST THE PETITIONERS, PENDING ON THE FILE OF LEARNED ADDL. CIVIL JUDGE (JR.DN) AND JMFC, AT HOSAKOTE, FOR THE OFFENCE P/U/S 108 OF BNS.

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

CORAM: HON'BLE MR JUSTICE S VISHWAJITH SHETTY

ORAL ORDER

Accused nos.1 & 2 in Crime No.91/2025 registered by Thirumalashettihalli Police Station, Bengaluru District, for the offence punishable under Section 108 of BNS, 2023, are before this Court under Section 483 of BNSS, 2023, seeking regular bail.

Heard the learned Counsel for the parties.

FIR in Crime No.91/2025 was registered by

Thirumalashettihalli Police Station, Bengaluru District, for the aforesaid offence against the petitioners herein based on the first information submitted by Gowramma - mother of deceased Geethanjali on 18.04.2025. During the course of investigation,

the petitioners were arrested. Bail application filed by the petitioners before the jurisdictional Sessions Court in Crl. Misc. No.787/2025 was rejected on 12.05.2025. Therefore, they are before this Court.

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Perusal of the material on record would go to show that the mother of the victim had borrowed a sum of Rs.8 lakhs from accused no.1 herein and the accused persons were allegedly demanding repayment of the said amount from the first informant who is the mother of the deceased. On 18.03.2025 deceased Geethanjali had gone to the house of accused nos.1 & 2 when they were not in the house and from the mobile phone of Pavithra - wife of accused no.1, a sum of Rs.10,000/- was transferred to the mobile phone belonging to the deceased through Phonepe. Accused nos.1 & 2, thereafter, allegedly had abused the deceased for the said reason, and it appears that thereafter deceased had locked herself inside a room and had committed suicide by hanging herself. It is in this background, the mother of the deceased had approached the police alleging that petitioners were the cause for her daughter committing suicide.

In the first information itself, it is stated that a sum of Rs.10,000/- was transferred from the mobile phone of the wife of accused no.1 through Phonepe to the mobile phone of the deceased and the same was without the knowledge of Pavithra

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NC: 2025:KHC:19797 CRL.P No. 7160 of 2025

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wife of accused no.1. It is in this background, accused nos.1

& 2 had allegedly abused the deceased. That itself cannot be considered as an abetment or instigation for the deceased to commit suicide. Under the circumstances, I am of the opinion that the prayer made by the petitioners for grant of anticipatory bail needs to be answered affirmatively. Accordingly, the following order:

The petition is allowed. The petitioners are directed to be enlarged on bail in Crime No.91/2025 registered by Thirumalashettihalli Police Station, Bengaluru District, for the offence punishable under Section 108 of BNS, 2023, are before this Court under Section 483 of BNSS, 2023, subject to the following conditions:

a) Petitioners shall execute personal bond for a sum of Rs.1,00,000/- each with two sureties for the likesum, to the satisfaction of the jurisdictional Court;

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

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NC: 2025:KHC:19797 CRL.P No. 7160 of 2025

HC-KAR

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

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

e) The petitioners 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