NANDU Vs. STATE OF KARNATAKA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Criminal Petition No.101938/2022 is filed by accused No.21 and Criminal Petition No.101939/2022 is filed by accused Nos.1 to 20 under Sec. 439 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (hereinafter referred to as ' Cr.P.C .' for brevity) for granting bail in Crime No.167/2021 registered by the Kakati Police Station, Belagavi Rural Sub Division, for the offence punishable under Ss. 143, 147, 148, 307, 436, 427 and 504 read with Sec. 149 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (hereinafter referred to as ' IPC ' for brevity).

(2.) Heard the arguments of the learned counsel appearing for the petitioners in both the petitions and the learned High Court Government Pleader for the respondent/State.

(3.) The case of the prosecution is that, on the complaint of one Sri. Parasuram Rajaram Pawar filed a complaint before the police on 19/6/2022 alleging that he is residing at Goundawaad Village and worked as a driver. That on 18/6/2022 at 9.35 pm, a person namely Satish Rajendra Patil said to be murdered by a group of persons on the back ground of a temple property dispute. A case in Crime No.166/2022 has been registered against one Anand Rama Kutre and 24 other accused for committing murder of Satish Rajendra Patil under Ss. 302, 307 and other offences. After coming to know about the murder of Satish Rajendra Patil, these petitioners said to be the followers of Satish Rajendra Patil, started violence in the village by committing rioting, damaging and burning the public vehicles and tried to attack the house of accused-Balu Nilajkar. However, the said person ran away by escaping from the mob. The mob said to have lit fire to his house and also to the neighbouring house. In the said incident, the vehicle of the complainant was also damaged. Hence, a complaint was registered by the police against 19 named persons and others. Subsequently, 21 accused persons were arrested by the police on various dates and they have been remanded to judicial custody. Their bail petition came to be rejected by the learned Sessions Judge. Hence, they are before this Court.