KARUNAKAR VASU SHETTY vs THE STATE OF MAHARASHTRA — ABA/1162/2026

Case Summary: Karunakar Vasu Shetty v. The State of Maharashtra Court Decision: The Bombay High Court granted anticipatory bail to applicant Karunakar Vasu Shetty, finding insufficient material against him despite being the hotel licensee in a prostitution case. The court held that co-accused statements under Section 161 CrPC cannot reliably implicate another accused at the bail stage and lack the requisite credibility without proper evidentiary safeguards. Key Reasoning: While a police raid uncovered prostitution at Hotel Raj Lodging and Boarding with three co-accused arrested, the FIR and chargesheet contained no direct allegations or evidence showing the applicant's knowledge or involvement in the illegal activities. The state's reliance on co-accused statements was rejected as per Supreme Court precedent establishing that such statements are insufficiently probative. Terms: Bail granted on Rs. 50,000 PR bond with monthly reporting requirements and standard conditions prohibiting witness intimidation and evidence tampering. This case analysis is maintained by casestatus.in based on publicly available court records.