1. The Criminal Petition has been filed under Section 482 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (for brevity ‘the BNSS’) by the Petitioner/Accused for granting of pre-arrest bail in connection with Crime No.206 of 2025 of Kurnool II Town Police, Kurnool District, registered for the alleged offence punishable under Sections 318(4), 351(2), 79, 115(2), 64(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (for short ‘the BNS’) and Sections 3(1)(s), 3(2)(v) of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention Of Atrocities) Act, 1989 (for short ‘the SCs & STs Act’)

2. Heard Mr. V.V.Lakshmi Narayana, learned counsel for the petitioner, Mr.K.Sandeep, learned Assistant Public Prosecutor and Mr.D.Poorna Chandra Reddy, learned counsel for respondent No.2.

3. The learned counsel for the petitioner would submit that the learned Single Judge of this Court directed the petitioner to cooperate with the investigation till its conclusion and further directed the Investigating Officer to proceed in accordance with law without taking coercive steps, including apprehension of the petitioner. The learned counsel would further submit that the said order was passed after taking into consideration the gravity and nature of the allegations levelled against the petitioner by respondent No.2, who filed WhatsApp chats running to about 65 pages, as well as the prior relationship between the petitioner and respondent No.2. The learned counsel would further submit that both the petitioner and respondent No.2 are employees working at Srisailam Temple. The petitioner has filed copies of call records and WhatsApp messages, while respondent No.2 has also filed WhatsApp messages and chats running to about 65 pages. The learned counsel would further submit that the petitioner is a bachelor, whereas respondent No.2 is a married woman. The learned counsel therefore prays that the interim protection granted to the petitioner may be continued and the present petition be disposed of by imposing appropriate conditions.

4. The learned counsel for respondent No.2 vehemently opposes the petition and submits that, in light of the material produced by respondent No.2, namely WhatsApp chats running to about 65 pages, which require detailed examination by the Investigating Officer to verify their genuineness, this Court may pass appropriate orders by imposing stringent conditions.

5. The learned Assistant Public Prosecutor submits that the investigation is at a nascent stage and, as rightly pointed out by the learned counsel for respondent No.2, examination of the electronic evidence produced by both parties may take considerable time for the prosecution agency. The learned Assistant Public Prosecutor therefore submits that the Court may pass appropriate orders.

6. Considering the submissions made and in view of the interim protection already granted to the petitioner directing the police officials not to take any coercive steps in the matter, this Court is inclined to dispose of the present criminal petition.

7. In the result, the Criminal Petition is disposed of with the following conditions:

                  i. In the event of arrest of the petitioner/ Accused, he shall be enlarged on bail subject to he executing bonds for a sum of Rs.20,000/- (Rupees Twenty Thousand only) with two sureties for the like sum each to the satisfaction of the arresting police officials;

                  ii. The Petitioner/ Accused shall make himself available for investigation and shall cooperate with the investigating officer for further investigation;

                  iii. The petitioner/accused shall not cause any threat, inducement, or promise to the prosecution witnesses and respondent No.2/victim, either directly or indirectly, including over the phone;

                  iv. The petitioner/accused is further directed not to post any photographs of respondent No.2 or make any statements against respondent No.2 on any social media platform, and not to discuss the subject matter of this case on social media platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, Facebook etc.

                  v. The Petitioner/ Accused shall not leave the limits of Andhra Pradesh State without the express permission from the concerned Court.

6. As a sequel thereto, the miscellaneous petitions, if any, pending in this Criminal Petition shall stand closed.