Abdul Rahman murder case: HC grants conditional anticipatory bail to five accused

Mangalore Today News Network

Bantwal, Aug. 21, 2026: The Karnataka High Court has granted conditional anticipatory bail to five persons accused under the Karnataka Control of Organised Crimes Act (KCOCA) in connection with the murder of Kolattamajalu Abdul Rahman at Irakodi.

The accused who were facing the threat of arrest — Pawan Maruti Gaikwad (A19), Anant Nagoji Sawant (A21), Bittappa Nagappa Tarihal (A22), M. Naveen Kumar (A23), and Pratima A.N. (A20) of Sagara — had approached the High Court seeking anticipatory bail.

A single-judge bench of Justice S. Vishwajith Shetty recently allowed their criminal petition. The court observed that the mere invocation of KCOCA does not automatically bar the grant of anticipatory bail. It clarified that if, on the face of the record, the provisions of KCOCA do not directly apply to the applicants, the restriction under Section 22(3) of the Act would not prevent the court from granting anticipatory bail.

The court directed the accused to appear before the investigating officer within 15 days of receiving a copy of the order. They have been instructed to execute a personal bond of ₹1 lakh each and furnish two sureties for the same amount.

The High Court also imposed several conditions, including mandatory appearance before the trial court whenever required, cooperation with the investigation, refraining from threatening prosecution witnesses or tampering with evidence, and not involving themselves in any criminal activities in the future.

Background of the Case

Abdul Rahman was allegedly murdered on May 27, 2025, in retaliation for the killing of Suhas Shetty. Another person, Kalandar Shafi, was injured in the attack.

Based on a complaint filed by the deceased’s friend, Mohammed Nisar, Bantwal Rural Police registered a criminal case. During the investigation, police initially filed a charge sheet against 14 accused. KCOCA provisions were later added through a supplementary charge sheet.

Subsequently, four of the petitioners were included as accused in a second supplementary charge sheet. Their bail applications had earlier been rejected by the Principal District and Sessions Court in Mysuru before they approached the High Court.