IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 24^TH DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2026 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE M.NAGAPRASANNA WRIT PETITION NO. 3862 OF 2026 (GM-RES)

BETWEEN:

M/S. NEW SPACE RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGIES PRIVATE LIMITED A COMPANY REGISTERED UNDER THE COMPANIES ACT, 2013 HAVING ITS OFFICE AT

2385, 1^ST FLOOR, 60 FEET ROAD SAHAKARANAGAR BENGALURU – 560 092 KARNATAKA REPRESENTED BY ITS AUTHORISED SIGNATORY, MR. SARATH KUMAR.

Digitally signed …PETITIONER by SANJEEVINI J KARISHETTY (BY SRI ANGAD KAMATH, ADVOCATE)

Location: H igh Court of AND:

Karnataka THE STATE OF KARNATAKA BY THE STATION HOUSE OFFICER DODDABALLAPURA RURAL POLICE STATION BENGALURU RURAL DISTRICT REPRESENTED BY THE HIGH COURT PUBLIC PROSECUTOR.

…RESPONDENT (BY SRI B.N.JAGADEESHA, ADDL. SPP)

THIS WP IS FILED UNDER ARTICLE 226 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA READ WITH SECTION 528 OF BNSS, PRAYING TO QUASHING THE FIRST INFORMATION REPORT IN CRIME NO. 24/2026 DATED 29.01.2026 REGISTERED BY THE DODDABALLAPURA RURAL POLICE STATION, BENGALURU RURAL DISTRICT FOR OFFENCES UNDER SECTIONS 125 AND 329(3) OF THE BHARATIYA NYAYA SANHITA, 2023 FURNISHED HEREWITH AS ANNEXURE A.

THIS PETITION, COMING ON FOR ORDERS, THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER:

CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE M.NAGAPRASANNA

ORAL ORDER

The petitioner-M/s NewSpace Research and Technologies Private Limited is before the Court calling in question registration of a crime in Crime No.24 of 2026 for offences punishable under Sections 125 and 329(3) of the BNS.

2. Heard Sri Angad Kamath, learned counsel appearing for the petitioner and Sri B.N.Jagadeesha, learned Additional State Public Prosecutor for the respondent.

3. Facts, in brief, germane are as follows: -

3.1. The petitioner is a Company engaged in research and development in the field of unmanned aerial systems and allied aerospace technologies. The petitioner is a centrally regulated entity and holds a valid authorization certificate issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation recognizing the petitioner as a research and development organization under the unmanned aircraft system regulatory framework. The petitioner also claims to be holding industrial/defence licence granted by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, authorizing it to manufacture and develop autonomous systems and unmanned aerial vehicles. The petitioner is said to be in lawful possession and control of a particular piece of land at Doddaballapura, Bengaluru Rural District under a subsisting lease agreement in its favour. The leased land measures about 48 acres and is being used by the petitioner for the last five years for research and development for the purpose of testing of drones and unmanned systems, as part of routine operations.

3.2. On 29-01-2026 a team of flight operators employed by the petitioner was at the leased premises and as a routine research and development, testing of drones was carried out in the said land as noted hereinabove. The drone involved on the said day was a lightweight research prototype belonging to the petitioner, made primarily of thermocol fitted with a commercially available Chinese battery with an estimated total weight of 7 kilograms capable of flying up to 100 to 150 feet altitude. At all material times, the testing of unmanned aircraft system, as averred in the petition, is carried out within the area classified as a green zone, as the leased premises where the drones were tested fall within such green zone classification. On 29-01-2026, the averment in the petition is that, one of the drones suffered a battery malfunctioning, as a result of which it glided beyond the boundary of the leased land and landed smoothly into a neighbouring property. Owing to the poor lighting conditions and lack of GPS signal, the drone could not be located immediately. The petitioner’s team is said to have begun search on the following day.

3.3. On the same day i.e., 29-01-2026, a Police Constable attached to Doddaballapua Rural Police Stati