Pranav Rajendra Bhandari v. The State Of Maharashtra

2023:BHC-AS:37447

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY

CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION BAIL APPLICATION NO. 3652 OF 2023 PRANAV RAJENDRA BHANDARI ..APPLICANT VS.

THE STATE OF MAHARASHTRA ..RESPONDENT Mr. Rupesh Zade a/w Ms.Priyanka Gupta, for the Applicant. Ms. Veera Shinde, APP for the State.

CORAM : M. S. KARNIK, J.

DATE : DECEMBER 13, 2023 P.C. :

1.

Heard learned counsel for the applicant and learned APP for the State.

2.

This is an application for bail in respect of the offence punishable under sections 302, 201, 120B of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 registered on 26/07/2023 vide C.R. No.873 of 2023 with Yavat police station, Pune Rural. 3.

There are 4 accused. The applicant is the accused no.3. The date of the incident is 27/03/2022. The applicant was arrested on 26/07/2023.

4.

The victim died on 27/03/2022. It was projected as if the victim had fallen on the ground and had died. However, on the basis of the information given by the present 1/3

applicant himself, it was revealed that the accused no.1Rakesh Bhandari and Atul Jagtap had strangulated the victim. The present applicant along with one more accused was present at the relevant time. There was some dispute the accused no.1 - Rakesh Bhandari had with the deceased victim who was his brother's father-in-law over the property. There is no overt act attributed to the applicant even as per the prosecution case. The present C.R. was registered on 26/07/2023, almost after 1 year and 3 months post the incident. In the facts and circumstances of the present case, I am inclined to enlarge the applicant on bail. The investigation is complete. The charge-sheet has been filed. There are no criminal antecedents reported against the applicant. The trial is likely to take a long time to conclude. Hence, the following order :-

O R D E R

(a) The application is allowed.

(b) The applicant- Pranav Rajendra Bhandari in connection with C.R. No. 873 of 2023 registered with Yavat police station shall be released on bail on his furnishing P.R. Bond of Rs.25,000/- with one or more sureties in the like amount. 2/3

(c) The applicant is permitted to furnish cash bail surety in the sum of Rs. 25,000/- for a period of 6 weeks in lieu of surety.

(d) The applicant shall attend the investigating officer of Yavat police station once in three months on first Monday of the concerned month commencing from January 2024 between 11.00 a.m. and 1.00 p.m. till further orders of the trial Court.

(e) The applicant 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 from disclosing the facts to Court or any Police Officer. The applicant shall not tamper with evidence.

(f) On being released on bail, the applicant shall furnish his contact number and residential address to the investigating officer and shall keep him updated, in case there is any change.

(g) The applicant shall attend the trial regularly. The applicant shall co-operate with the trial Court and shall not seek unnecessary adjournments.

5.

The application is disposed of.

(M. S. KARNIK, J.) 3/3