Dismissed¶66

Muthegowda v. State of Karnataka

Karnataka HC12 Jan 2026CRL.P/17478/2025

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

Regular bail denied; Section 483 BNSS; BNS 2023 Sections 80, 85, 54, 74, 115(2), 352, 190; Crime No.240/2025 Bengaluru District Women Police Station; death note alleging dowry harassment; death within one year of marriage; body found in check dam; investigation in progress; accused Nos.2, 3, 4; accused Nos.5 and 6 granted bail as women; liberty to apply after charge sheet; Shivashankar Amarannavar J.; Karnataka High Court 2026.

What did the court decide?

No bail granted; petitioners at liberty to file bail petition after filing of charge sheet. ¶66

Muthegowda Vs State of Karnataka — Bail and Remand | Karnataka HC (2026)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

No bail granted; petitioners at liberty to file bail petition after filing of charge sheet.

¶66

Issue for consideration

Whether the petitioners (accused Nos.2, 3 and 4) are entitled to be enlarged on regular bail under Section 483 BNSS in Crime No.240/2025 of Bengaluru District Woman Police Station, registered for offences under Sections 80, 85, 54, 74, 115(2), 352 and 190 of BNS, while the investigation is in progress.

¶50

Court's answer

Having heard counsel and perused the FIR, complaint and other materials, and considering that the death note alleges harassment of the deceased demanding dowry by the petitioners/accused Nos.2 to 4, that the death occurred within one year of the marriage, and that the investigation is in progress, the petitioners have not made out any ground for grant of bail at this stage.

¶66

Ratio / Principle

Both petitions are dismissed, with liberty to the petitioners to file a bail petition after filing of the charge sheet.

¶66

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Bail refused — High Court of Karnataka at Bengaluru, 12.01.2026, Shivashankar Amarannavar, J. (Oral Order): Regular-bail petitions under Section 483 BNSS by accused No.4 (Muthegowda, Crl.P No.17478/2025) and accused Nos.2 and 3 (Govindappa and Narayanswamy, Crl.P No.17484/2025) in Crime No.240/2025 of Bengaluru District Woman Police Station, registered for offences under Sections 80, 85, 54, 74, 115(2), 352 and 190 of BNS 2023, dismissed. The deceased married accused No.1 on 11.11.2024; she was found missing on 18.10.2025 and her body was found in a check dam on 20.10.2025; a death note seized under mahazar alleges harassment of the deceased demanding dowry by accused Nos.2 to 4; the deceased had video-recorded the cruelty meted out; the death occurred within one year of the marriage; investigation in progress. Accused Nos.5 and 6 had earlier been granted bail on the ground that they are women. Held: at this stage the petitioners made out no ground for bail; liberty reserved to move for bail after filing of the charge sheet.

¶1

NC: 2026:KHC:1696 CRL.P No. 17478 of 2025 C/W CRL.P No. 17484 of 2025

¶2

¶3

HC-KAR

¶4

IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU

¶5

DATED THIS THE 12^TH DAY OF JANUARY, 2026

¶6

BEFORE

¶7

THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SHIVASHANKAR AMARANNAVAR CRIMINAL PETITION No. 17478 OF 2025 (439(Cr.PC) / 483(BNSS)-)

¶8

C/W

¶9

CRIMINAL PETITION No. 17484 OF 2025

¶10

IN CRL.P No. 17478/2025

¶11

BETWEEN:

¶12

MUTHEGOWDA

¶13

S/O VEERANNA

¶14

Digitally signed by LAKSHMINARAYANA MURTHY RAJASHRI Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA

¶15

AGED ABOUT 49 YEARS OCCUPATION:TEACHER AT G.S.P.S. MUKKENAHALLI R/AT No.76/46, T B NARAYANAPPA BADAVANE, 2^ND CROSS, MALLATHALLI POST DODDABALLAPURA TWON-561 205.

¶16

PERMANENT RESIDENT OF: TAPASIHALLI, TUBAGERE HOBALI DODDABALLAPURA TALUK.

¶17

…PETITIONER

¶18

(BY SRI SUNIL KUMAR S, ADVOCATE)

¶19

AND:

¶20

STATE OF KARNATAKA BY BENGALURU DIST. WOMEN P.S,

¶21

NC: 2026:KHC:1696 CRL.P No. 17478 of 2025 C/W CRL.P No. 17484 of 2025

¶22

¶23

HC-KAR

¶24

REPRESENTED BY STATE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR HIGH COURT BUILDING BENGALURU - 560 001.

¶25

…RESPONDENT

¶26

(BY SRI HARISH GANAPATHY, HCGP)

¶27

THIS CRL.P IS FILED UNDER SECTION 439 Cr.PC (FILED UNDER SECTION 483 BNNS) PRAYING TO ENLARGE HIM ON REGULAR BAIL IN CRIME No.240/2025 REGISTERED BY THE BENGALURU DISTRICT WOMEN POLICE STATION FOR THE OFFENCES PUNISHABLE UNDER SECTIONS 80, 85, 54, 74, 115(2), 352 AND 190 OF THE BHARATIYA NYAYA SANHITA, 2023.

¶28

IN CRL.P No. 17484/2025:

¶29

BETWEEN:

¶30

GOVINDAPPA

¶31

S/O VEERANNA

¶32

AGED ABOUT 55 YEARS OCCUPATION: AGRICULTURIST TAPASIHALLI TUBAGERE HOBLI DODDABALLAPURA

¶33

BENGALURU DIST., KARNATAKA - 561 205.

¶34

NARAYANSWAMY

¶35

S/O GOVINDAPPA AGED ABOUT 28 YEARS TAPASIHALLI, TUBAGERE, HOBLI DODDABALLAPURA, BENGALURU DIST., KARNATAKA - 561 205.

¶36

...PETITIONERS

¶37

(BY SRI. SUNIL KUMAR S, ADVOCATE)

¶38

3 - NC: 2026:KHC:1696 CRL.P No. 17478 of 2025 C/W CRL.P No. 17484 of 2025

¶39

HC-KAR

¶40

AND:

¶41

STATE OF KARNATAKA

¶42

BY BENGALURU DARET. WOMEN P.S, REPRESENTED BY STATE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR HIGH COURT BUILDING BENGALURU - 560 001.

¶43

...RESPONDENT

¶44

(BY SRI HARISH GANAPATHY, HCGP)

¶45

THIS CRL.P IS FILED UNDER SECTION 439 Cr.PC (FILED UNDER SECTION 483 BNSS) PRAYING TO ENLARGE THEM ON REGULAR BAIL IN CR.No.240/2025 REGISTERED BY THE DODDABALLAPURA WOMEN P.S. FOR THE OFFENCE PUNISHABLE UNDER SECTIONS 80,85,54,74,115(2),352 AND 190 OF BNS 2023.

¶46

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

¶47

CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SHIVASHANKAR AMARANNAVAR

¶48

ORAL ORDER

¶49

Crl.P.No.17478/2025 is filed by accused No.4 and

¶50

Crl.P.No.17484/2025 is filed by accused Nos. 2 and 3. Both the petitions are filed under Section 483 of BNSS praying to grant bail in Crime No.240/2025 of Bengaluru District Woman Police Station registered for offences under

¶51

Sections 80, 85, 54, 74, 115(2), 352 and 190 of BNS.

¶52

4 - NC: 2026:KHC:1696 CRL.P No. 17478 of 2025 C/W CRL.P No. 17484 of 2025

¶53

HC-KAR

¶54

Heard learned counsel for petitioners and learned

¶55

HCGP for respondent/State.

¶56

Learned counsel for petitioners would contend that accused No.2 is father-in-law, accused No. 3 is a brother of accused No.1/husband and accused No.4 is uncle of accused No.1/husband. He further submits that accused Nos. 5 and 6, who are mother-in-law and wife of accused No.4, have been granted bail. The trial Court has considered the regular bail application of accused No.4 as anticipatory bail and rejected it on the ground that it is a successive anticipatory bail petition. As the major portion of the investigation is over, petitioners are not required for further custodial interrogation. With this he prayed to allow the petitions.

¶57

Per contra , learned HCGP would contend that the death note was found on the spot wherein there is a specific allegation against the petitioners/accused Nos. 2 to 4, harassing the deceased demanding dowry. The death of the deceased is within one year of the marriage. The

¶58

5 - NC: 2026:KHC:1696 CRL.P No. 17478 of 2025 C/W CRL.P No. 17484 of 2025

¶59

HC-KAR

¶60

investigation is in progress. The accused Nos.5 and 6 have been granted bail on the ground that they are women. As the investigation is in progress, the petitioners are not entitled for grant of bail. With this, he prayed to reject the petitions.

¶61

Having heard the learned counsels, the Court has perused FIR, complaint and other materials placed on record.

¶62

The marriage of the deceased with accused No.1 has taken place on 11.11.2024. After marriage, the deceased was residing with the accused persons in their house. The deceased was found missing on 18.10.2025 and her body was found on 20.10.2025 in a check dam. The death note has been found wherein there is an allegation against the petitioners/accused Nos.2 to 4 harassing the deceased demanding dowry. The said death note has been seized under mahazar. The deceased has also video recorded stating the details of the cruelty meted out by the accused persons. The death of the deceased is

¶63

6 - NC: 2026:KHC:1696 CRL.P No. 17478 of 2025 C/W CRL.P No. 17484 of 2025

¶64

HC-KAR

¶65

within one year of the marriage. The investigation is in progress.

¶66

Considering the above aspect, at this stage, the petitioners have not made out any ground for grant of bail. In the result, the petitions are dismissed. The petitioners are at liberty to file bail petition after filing of charge sheet.

¶67

Sd/(SHIVASHANKAR AMARANNAVAR) JUDGE

¶68

DKB List No.: 1 Sl No.: 24 Ct.sm

Muthegowda v. State of Karnataka

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

Muthegowda v. State of Karnataka

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

Why is it important?

What the court decided

Issues for consideration

Statutes considered

Procedural history

Parties & counsel

Coram

Case details

Similar cases

Santhosh Kumar J Vs State by Karnataka

Sri.Prabhudev K.B Vs State of Karnataka

Amith Vs the State of Karnataka

Chandrakala Vs State of Karnataka

Rajamanickam Subramanian Vs the State by

Vinod Vs the State of Karnataka