Vikki Prasad v. State of Karnataka

Karnataka HC17 Jun 2026CRL.P/4122/2026

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

Regular bail under S.483 BNSS granted by Karnataka HC (S Vishwajith Shetty J) to 22-year-old accused No.1 in Kolar POCSO special case (S.137(2), 64(2), 351(2), 249 BNS 2023; S.6 POCSO Act 2012; Crime No.100/2025, Kolar Women PS); charge-sheet allegations doubted after photographs of petitioner with minor victim; victim II PUC student whose S.183 BNSS statement was recorded; petitioner first-time accused in custody since 05.10.2025; trial-court bail rejected 31.01.2026; release on Rs.1,00,000 personal bond with two sureties plus standard bail conditions.

What did the court decide?

Petitioner (accused No.1) enlarged on regular bail in Special Case (POCSO) No.128/2025 (arising out of Crime No.100/2025, Kolar Women Police Station) subject to five conditions, including a personal bond of Rs.1,00,000/- with two sureties for the likesum.

Vikki Prasad Vs State of Karnataka — Child Sexual Offences (POCSO) | Karnataka HC (2026)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

¶ORDER

Issue for consideration

Whether the petitioner (accused No.1 in Special Case (POCSO) No.128/2025, prosecuted for offences under Sections 137(2), 64(2), 351(2), 249 of BNS, 2023 and Section 6 of the POCSO Act, 2012) should be enlarged on regular bail under Section 483 BNSS, his trial-court bail application having been rejected on 31.01.2026.

¶filing clause

Court's answer

This Court held that the petitioner's prayer for grant of regular bail needed to be answered affirmatively subject to appropriate conditions, and allowed the petition, directing enlargement of the petitioner on bail in Special Case (POCSO) No.128/2025.

¶ORDER

Ratio / Principle

Perusal of photographs of the petitioner along with the victim produced by learned counsel created a doubt in the Court's mind with regard to the allegations found in the charge sheet against the petitioner.

¶7

Key takeaways

The victim girl, studying in II PUC, was stated by the Court to have had all the worldly knowledge about the act committed by her and its consequences.ratio¶8
The petitioner, aged 22 years with no other criminal antecedent, has been in custody from 05.10.2025.ratio¶8
The Court considered that the petitioner's continued detention in custody amongst hardcore criminals may have an adverse impact on his future career.ratio

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Karnataka High Court (Hon'ble Mr. Justice S Vishwajith Shetty), by oral order dated 17.06.2026 in Criminal Petition No. 4122 of 2026 filed under Section 483 BNSS (also referencing Section 439 Cr.P.C.), granted regular bail to the petitioner, accused No.1 aged about 22 years, in Special Case (POCSO) No.128/2025 before the Addl. District and Sessions Judge, FTSC-I (POCSO), Kolar, arising out of Crime No.100/2025 of Kolar Women Police Station, for offences under Sections 137(2), 64(2), 351(2) and 249 of BNS, 2023 and Section 6 of the POCSO Act, 2012, after his trial-court bail application was rejected on 31.01.2026. Grounds: photographs of the petitioner with the victim produced by counsel created a doubt in the Court's mind about the charge-sheet allegations; the victim (II PUC student) was observed to have worldly knowledge of the act and its consequences; and the petitioner, a first-time accused in custody since 05.10.2025, might suffer adverse impact on his career from continued detention among hardcore criminals. Enlargement ordered on a personal bond of Rs.1,00,000/- with two sureties for the likesum, conditioned on regular Trial Court attendance, no tampering with or threatening of prosecution witnesses, no similar offences, and no departure from Trial Court jurisdiction without permission until disposal of the case.

¶1

NC: 2026:KHC:29565 CRL.P No. 4122 of 2026

¶2

¶3

HC-KAR

¶4

IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU

¶5

DATED THIS THE 17^TH DAY OF JUNE, 2026

¶6

BEFORE

¶7

THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S VISHWAJITH SHETTY CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 4122 OF 2026 (439(Cr.PC) /

¶8

483(BNSS)-)

¶9

BETWEEN:

¶10

VIKKI PRASAD S/O VENKATARAMA, AGED ABOUT 22 YEARS, RESIDING AT DHANAMATNAHALLI VILLAGE, VEMGAL HOBLI, KOLAR TALUK-563102.

¶11

…PETITIONER

¶12

(BY SRI. JAGADEESHA S R., ADVOCATE)

¶13

AND:

¶14

Digitally signed by DHANALAKSHMI MURTHY Location: HIGH COURTOF KARNATAKA

¶15

STATE OF KARNATAKA REPRESENTED BY KOLAR WOMEN POLICE STATION, KOLAR TOWN, KOLAR-563101.

¶16

SMT. GEETHA W/O ASHWATTHA.D AGED ABOUT 45 YEARS, R/AT DHANAMATNAHALLI VILLAGE, VEMGAL HOBLI, KOLAR TALUK – 563 102.

¶17

…RESPONDENTS

¶18

(BY SMT. RASHMI JADHAV, ADDL. SPP FOR R1;

¶19

VIDE ORDER DATED 17.06.2026 NOTICE TO R2 HELD SUFFICIENT)

¶20

¶21

NC: 2026:KHC:29565 CRL.P No. 4122 of 2026

¶22

HC-KAR

¶23

THIS CRL.P IS FILED U/S 439 OF CR.P.C (FILED U/S 483 BNSS) PRAYING TO ENLARGE THE PETITIONER ON REGULAR BAIL IN SPL. CC. (POCSO) NO. 128/2025 FOR THE OFFENCES PUNISHABLE U/S 137(2), 64(2), 351(2), 249 OF BNS, 2023 AND SECTION 6 OF POCSO ACT-2012, PENDING ON THE FILE OF THE LEARNED ADDL. DISTRICT AND SESSIONS JUDGE, FTSC-1 (POCSO) AT KOLAR.

¶24

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

¶25

CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S VISHWAJITH SHETTY

¶26

ORAL ORDER

¶27

Accused No.1 in Special Case (POCSO) No.128/2025 pending before the Court of the Addl. District and Sessions Judge, FTSC-I (POCSO), Kolar, arising out of Crime No.100/2025 registered by Women Police Station, Kolar, for offences punishable under Sections 137(2), 64(2), 351(2), 249 of B haratiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 (hereinafter referred to as 'BNS, 2023' for short) and Section 6 of the POCSO Act, 2012, is before this Court in this criminal petition filed under Section 483 of the

¶28

¶29

NC: 2026:KHC:29565 CRL.P No. 4122 of 2026

¶30

HC-KAR

¶31

Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, seeking regular bail.

¶32

Heard learned counsel appearing for the petitioner and learned Addl. SPP appearing for the respondent-State. Respondent No.2, who is served in the matter, has remained unrepresented before this Court.

¶33

FIR in Crime No.100/2025 was registered by Kolar Women Police Station initially for offence punishable under Section 137(2) of BNS, 2023, against unknown persons based on the first information dated 30.09.2025 received from respondent No.2, who is the mother of the victim girl, who was studying in II PUC. During the course of investigation, the petitioner and victim were traced and the petitioner was arrested on 05.10.2025 and remanded to judicial custody. After completing investigation, charge sheet has been filed against three persons. Petitioner herein is arraigned as accused No.1 in the charge sheet. His bail application filed before the Trial Court in Special

¶34

¶35

NC: 2026:KHC:29565 CRL.P No. 4122 of 2026

¶36

HC-KAR

¶37

Case (POCSO) No.128/2025 was rejected on 31.01.2026.

¶38

Therefore, he is before this Court.

¶39

Mother of the accused had approached the police on 30.09.2025 and had submitted a typed first information stating that her minor daughter, who was studying in II PUC at BGS College, Kolar, who had gone to college on 29.09.2025 at about 07.45 a.m., had not returned home and efforts made to trace her had failed and therefore, she had approached the police. During the course of investigation petitioner and the victim were traced. The petitioner was arrested on 05.10.2025 and was subsequently remanded to judicial custody.

¶40

The statement of the victim girl under Section 183 of BNSS 2023 was recorded in the present case by the jurisdictional Magistrate on 08.10.2025. In the said statement, the victim girl has stated that on 28.09.2025, the petitioner had telephoned her and asked her to come with him and also threatened her that if she does not

¶41

5 - NC: 2026:KHC:29565 CRL.P No. 4122 of 2026

¶42

HC-KAR

¶43

come with him, he will kill her parents. On 29.09.2025,

¶44

she had gone to the nearby bus stand for the purpose of going to her college and the petitioner, who came there, allegedly took her in a Tata Sumo vehicle and went to the house of accused No.2-Madan, who is his friend. On the said day, they stayed in the said house of Madan. Petitioner allegedly had sexual intercourse with her. On the next day, they went to the house of accused No.3Mamatha and had stayed in her house. The victim girl has stated that Madan and petitioner had left her in the house of Mamatha. Subsequently, on 02.10.2025 at about 11.30 p.m., petitioner and aforesaid accused No.2-Madan returned to the house of accused No.3-Mamatha. On the said date, since the victim had periods, petitioner kissed her and slept beside her. On 04.10.2025, police came to the said house and brought them back.

¶45

From the aforesaid statement, it appears that the victim girl, who was studying in II PUC had accompanied

¶46

6 - NC: 2026:KHC:29565 CRL.P No. 4122 of 2026

¶47

HC-KAR

¶48

the petitioner and they had stayed together in different

¶49

places for more than 4 days.

¶50

Learned counsel for the petitioner has produced certain photographs of the petitioner along with the victim and perusal of the same creates a doubt in the mind of the Court with regard to the allegations found in the charge sheet against the petitioner.

¶51

The victim girl was studying in II PUC and she had all the worldly knowledge about the act committed by her and the consequences of the same. Petitioner aged 22 years having no other criminal antecedent is in custody from 05.10.2025. His continued detention in custody amongst hardcore criminals may have an adverse impact on his future career.

¶52

Under the circumstances, I am of the opinion that

¶53

the prayer made by the petitioner for grant of regular bail

¶54

¶55

NC: 2026:KHC:29565 CRL.P No. 4122 of 2026

¶56

HC-KAR

¶57

needs to be answered affirmatively subject to appropriate

¶58

conditions. Accordingly, the following order:

¶59

ORDER

¶60

The petition is allowed.

¶61

The petitioner is directed to be enlarged on bail in Special Case (POCSO) No.128/2025 pending before the Court of Addl. District and Sessions Judge, FTSC-I (POCSO), Kolar, arising out of Crime No.100/2025 registered by Women Police Station, Kolar, for offences punishable under Sections 137(2), 64(2), 351(2) and 249 of B NS, 2023 and Section 6 of POCSO Act, 2012, subject to the following conditions:

¶62

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;

¶63

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;

¶64

NC: 2026:KHC:29565 CRL.P No. 4122 of 2026

¶65

¶66

HC-KAR

¶67

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

¶68

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

¶69

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.

¶70

Sd/(S VISHWAJITH SHETTY) JUDGE

¶71

¶72

List No.: 1 Sl No.: 60

Vikki Prasad v. State of Karnataka

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

Vikki Prasad 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

Smt Nethravathi Vs State by Karnataka by

Sri Manjunatha Vs State of Karnataka

Rakesh Gowda, Vs State of Karnataka

Dinesh P Vs State of Karnataka

Gaffar Pasha Vs State by

Satish Reddy N Vs the State of Karnataka