Andhra Pradesh High Court – Amravati
Podala Mohan Sai vs The State Of Andhra Pradesh on 15 April, 2026
APHC010179552026
IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH
AT AMARAVATI [3396]
(Special Original Jurisdiction)
WEDNESDAY, THE FIFTEENTH DAY OF APRIL
TWO THOUSAND AND TWENTY SIX
PRESENT
THE HONOURABLE DR JUSTICE VENKATA JYOTHIRMAI PRATAPA
CRIMINAL PETITION NO: 2613/2026
Between:
1. PODALA MOHAN SAI, S/O LATE P. SANKAR RAO, AGED 36
YEARS,OCC TYPIST IN PDM COURT NELLORE,R/O D.NO. 4-8-148,
SHADHI MANZIL STREET,NAZIR THOTA, NELLORE CITY,SPSR
NELLORE DISTRICT.
...PETITIONER/ACCUSED
AND
1. THE STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH, REPRESENTED BY ITS
PUBLIC PROSECUTOR, HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA
PRADESH,THROUGH STATION HOUSE OFFICER,KAKUMANU
POLICE STATION,GUNTUR DISTRICT, A.P.
...RESPONDENT/COMPLAINANT
Petition under Section 437/438/439/482 of Cr.P.C and 528 of BNSS
praying that in the circumstances stated in the Memorandum of Grounds of
Criminal Petition, the High Court pleased to release the Petitioner/Accused.
No. 4 on bail in Crime No. 90 of 2025, on the file of the Kakumanu Police
Station, Guntur and pass
Counsel for the Petitioner/accused:
1. SHAIK AFZAL MOHAMMED
Counsel for the Respondent/complainant:
1. PUBLIC PROSECUTOR
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THE HONOURABLE DR JUSTICE VENKATA JYOTHIRMAI PRATAPA
CRIMINAL PETITION NO: 2613/2026
ORDER:
The Criminal Petition has been filed under Sections 480 and 483 of the
Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (for brevity „the BNSS‟), seeking to
enlarge the Petitioner/Accused No.4 on bail in Crime No.90 of 2025 of
Kakumanu Police Station, Guntur, registered against the Petitioner/Accused
No.4 herein for the offence punishable under Sections 111(4), 318(4) of
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and Section 66D of Information Technology
Act.
2. Heard Mr. Shaik Afzal Mohammed, the learned Counsel for the
Petitioner and Ms. K. Priyanka Lakshmi, learned Assistant Public Prosecutor.
3. The case of the prosecution, in brief, is that on 23.10.2025 at about 4.00
p.m., the complainant received a phone call from an unknown woman
accused, who introduced herself as an officer of the CID, Karnataka State.
The caller informed the complainant that a case had been registered against
her in Karnataka relating to human trafficking and instructed her to come to
Delhi. During the course of the conversation, the caller obtained the
complainant’s bank details and other family particulars, and the complainant
disclosed the same to the accused. The said unknown woman thereafter
made several WhatsApp calls to the complainant’s mobile number and
informed her that she was allegedly involved in a money laundering case. The
accused also threatened the complainant with “digital arrest” and demanded
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money to avoid legal action. Believing the version of the unknown accused,
the complainant transferred an amount of Rs.22,00,000/- and Rs.20,00,000/-
on two occasions, totaling Rs.42,00,000/-, from her SBI savings account to the
bank accounts specified by the accused through ICICI Bank transactions.
Subsequently, upon realizing that she had been cheated by unknown persons,
the complainant approached the police station on 07.11.2025 and lodged a
complaint. Based on the said complaint, the police registered the present
crime.
4. Learned counsel for the Petitioner would submit that petitioner herein is
arrayed as A.4 in the subject crime and that no specific allegations attributed
against him attracting the offences alleged against him and that statutory
period is completed and charge sheet is not filed by the respondent Police.
Learned counsel would further submit that the petitioner has been in Jail since
19.12.2025 and that the petitioner is entitled for statutory bail. He would
further submit that this Court enlarged A.5 on regular bail vide order dated
24.03.2026 in Crl.P.No.2175 of 2026. The petitioner herein is also on the
same footing as of A.5. Learned counsel finally prays for grant of bail to the
petitioner.
5. Learned Assistant Public Prosecutor would submit that the statutory
period has been completed and no report has been filed before the learned
Special Court by the concerned and no petition is filed by the concerned
Public Prosecutor seeking extension of the period of judicial custody up to
one year by indicating progress of the investigation. She would further submit
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that the petitioner herein is on the same footing as of accused No.5 and the
Court may pass appropriate orders.
6. Considering the submissions made and on perusal of the material on
record, without touching the merits of the case, taking into consideration the
petitioner has been in jail since 19.122025 and the charge sheet is not filed
within the statutory period, the petitioner is entitled to be released on default
bail.
7. In the result, the Criminal Petition is allowed with the following
conditions:
i. The petitioner/Accused No. 4 shall be enlarged on bail
on executing bond for a sum of Rs.20,000/- (Rupees Twenty
Thousand only) with two sureties for the like sum each to the
satisfaction of the learned Additional Junior Civil Judge,
Ponnur.
ii. The petitioner/Accused No.4 shall not commit or
indulge in commission of any offence in future.
iii. The petitioner/Accused No.4 shall cooperate with the
investigating officer in further investigation of the case and
shall make himself available for interrogation by the
Investigating Officer as and when required.
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iv. The petitioner/Accused No.4 shall not, directly or
indirectly, make any inducement, threat or promise to any
person acquainted with the facts of the case so as to dissuade
him/her from disclosing such facts to the Court.
v. The petitioner/Accused No.4 shall surrender his
passport, if any, to the concerned Court. If he claims that he
does not have a passport, he shall submit an affidavit to that
effect to the concerned Court.
vi. The petitioner/Accused No.4, shall appear before the
concerned Station House Officer, once in a week i.e., on every
Saturday between 10:00 am and 05:00 pm, until further
orders.
As a sequel thereto, the miscellaneous applications, if any, pending in
this Criminal Petition shall stand closed.
__________________________________________
DR. JUSTICE VENKATA JYOTHIRMAI PRATAPA
Date: 15.04.2026.
UPS
657
THE HONOURABLE DR JUSTICE VENKATA JYOTHIRMAI PRATAPACRIMINAL PETITION NO: 2613/2026
Dt.15.04.2026
UPS
