K. Somashekar, j. - (1.)This criminal petition is filed by the petitioner-accused No.3 under Section 438 of Cr.P.C., seeking anticipatory bail in Crime No.82/2019 of Udyambag P.S., where the accused has been lugged into the offences punishable under Sections 417 and 420 of IPC. The police are making hectic efforts to arrest this petitioner. Therefore, learned counsel for the petitioner is seeking for anticipatory bail in the event of his arrest by the Police among the grounds urged therein.
(2.)Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner and the learned HCGP for the respondent - State.
(3.)It is relevant to state sum and substance of the complaint that one Smt.Vijayalaxmi Tavanappa Desai being the complainant, she was working as agent in Jana Sneha Real Wealth Solution Private Limited, Belagavi from 2013. Accused Nos.1 to 20 were holding different positions by working in the aforesaid company such as Managing Director, Manager, Treasurer, Directors etc., and they assured the agents that they will pay double the amount of deposit and got the money deposited from general public through agents. The complainant herself kept fixed deposit of Rs.10,000/- in her name and Rs.5,000/- in the name of her son. But in November 2016 following demonetization, the accused persons began avoiding repayment of money to its customers. By that time, the complainant and other agents in the aforesaid company had collected huge amount of Rs.91,93,716/- from the customers in the form of FD and RD and deposited the same in the said company established. But in the month of December 2017, the accused persons locked the office of that company as the accused persons have cheated the agents and customers. Therefore, on filing of a complaint by the complainant, the case in Crime No.82/2019 came to be registered and thereafter to proceed with the case for investigation.