Sushant Narayan Lokhande v. The State Of Maharashtra And ANR

9-BA-4831-2024.doc

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY

CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION CRIMINAL BAIL APPLICATION NO. 4831 OF 2024 Sushant Narayan Lokhande ...Applicant

VERSUS

1. The State of Maharashtra

2. The Inspector of Police Khalapur Police Station ...Respondents ....

Mr. Ujjwal Gandhi, Advocate for the Applicant. Mr. S. S. Chaudhary, A.P.P. for the Respondents - State. ....

CORAM

:

N. R. BORKAR, J.

DATE :

20.01.2025.

P.C.

:

1.

This is an application for regular bail.

2.

The applicant came to be arrested in Crime No.233 of 2020 registered at Khalapur Police Station, Dist-Raigad for the offences punishable under Sections 395, 365, 170 & 120(B) of the Indian Penal Code.

3.

The allegations against the applicant and other co-accused are that they conspired to abduct the foreign nationals with a view to extort money from them and pursuant to said conspiracy on the date of incident which took place on 26-12-2020 they picked up the victims in the present case from Mumbai Airport on the pretext that they came to receive them. It is alleged that they took them towards Pune, extorted money from them and then allowed them to go.

4.

I have heard the learned counsel for the applicant and the Pramod S. Lakare

9-BA-4831-2024.doc learned APP for the respondent/State.

5.

The bail is sought on the ground of parity. In support of the said submission, the learned counsel for the applicant has placed on record the order passed by this Court dated 18.07.2024 in Criminal Bail Application No.1184 of 2024. By the said order, this Court has released the co-accused Shivanand Vithhal Shriram on bail on the ground of long incarceration of four years. 6.

The learned counsel for the applicant submits that the applicant is in jail for more than four years. It is submitted that there are no other criminal antecedents against the present applicant.

7.

I have perused the charge-sheet. The role attributed to the present applicant and co-accused Shivanand Vithhal Shriram appears to be identical. In that view of the matter and as there are no other criminal antecedents against the applicant, I am inclined to release him on bail. In the result, the following order is passed:

O R D E R

A] The Application is allowed.

B] The applicant be released on bail in Crime No.233 of 2020 registered at Khalapur Police Station, Dist-Raigad for the offences punishable under Sections 395, 365, 170 & 120(B) of the Indian Penal Code, on furnishing P.R Bond in the sum of Rs.25,000/- (Rupees Twenty Five Thousand) with one or two sureties in the like amount.

(N. R. BORKAR, J.) Pramod S. Lakare