Rameshwar Baliram Mhaske v. State Of Maharashtra

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY

CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION ANTICIPATORY BAIL APPLICATION NO.2017 OF 2025 ARJUN VITTHAL KUDHEKAR Rameshwar Baliram Mhaske ...Applicant

Versus

The State of Maharashtra

...Respondent

ARJUN VITTHAL KUDHEKAR Date: 2026.02.19 15:05:09 +0530 Mr. C. G. Gavnekar a/w Prasanna Shahane, Shailesh Chavan & Rohit Parab i/b Milind Deshmukh, for the Applicant. Ms. G. P. Mulekar, APP, for the Respondent-State. Mr. Aditya Mithe a/w Sachin Agawane, Esha Joshi & Yashratan Surana, for the Intervenor/First Informant in FIR/257/2025. A.P.I. Santosh Duryodhan Dange, EOW, Pune, present.

CORAM:

MADHAV J. JAMDAR, J.

DATED:

10 FEBRUARY 2026 PC:- 1.

Heard Mr. Gavnekar, learned Counsel appearing for the Applicant, Ms. Mulekar, learned APP for the Respondent-State of Maharashtra and Mr. Mithe, learned Counsel appearing for the First Informant in FIR No.257 of 2025 registered with the Wagholi Police Station, Pune City.

2.

By the present Anticipatory Bail Application filed under Section 482 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, the Applicant is seeking pre-arrest bail in connection with CR No.195 of 2025 registered with the Chandannagar Police Station, Pune

City, for the offences punishable under Sections 120B, 471, 468, 467 and 420 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 ("IPC"). 3.

The prosecution case is set out in Paragraph No.2 of the Order dated 11th July 2025 passed by the learned Additional Sessions Judge, Pune in Criminal Bail Application No.3450 of 2025, which reads as under:

"2.

Gat No. 2262 situated at Wagholi was standing in the name of Aparna Verma. Sale deed bearing No. 4860/2023 was executed by Aparna Verma, resident of Islampur in favour of Anand Bhagat and Shailesh Thombre. However Aparna Verma resident of Islampur is fake lady. Aparna Verma in whose name above land standing is another lady residing at Dubai. However after purchasing said land by Anand Bhagat and Shailesh Thombre, Anand Bhagat lodged complaint against original Aparna Verma, resident of Dubai and FIR bearing CR No.207/2023 was registered against her at Chandannagar Police Station. However she obtained anticipatory bail and approached to Hon'ble High Court and filed Writ petition for quashing of FIR. Investigation officer in that Crime i.e. No.207/2023, filed 'B' Summary and therefore she withdraw writ petition filed for quashing.

Chandannagar Police Station suspected about Anand Bhagat as he had filed false complaint against original Aparna Verma. Therefore they took search of house of Anand Bhagat and found fake and false documents and after inquiring with Anand Bhagat, he disclosed that Rajendra Landge who was Senior PI of Chandannagar Police Station is involved in this case. Shailesh Thombre who is the purchaser along-with Anand Bhagat in aforesaid sale deed is brother-in-law of Rajendra Landge, Senior Pl.

was registered against this applicant as well co-accused. Allegations against this applicant is that he also involved in this case along-with Anand Bhagat."

4.

It is the submission of Mr. Gavnekar, learned Counsel for the Applicant, that the Applicant is not involved in the crime. The Applicant is not even named in the FIR and no role has been attributed to the present Applicant.

5.

On the other hand, Ms. Mulekar, learned APP, for the Respondent-State and Mr. Mithe, learned Counsel for the First Informant in FIR No.257/2025, submit that the present Applicant has played a major role in settling the dispute between the Original Owner, Aparna Yashpal Verma from Dubai and various persons who were impleaded as Defendants in Special Civil Suit No.1875 of 2022 filed by the said Aparna Verma from Dubai. It is their submission that the CDR shows that the present Applicant was in constant touch with the Purchasers who have purchased the valuable suit property from Aparna Verma from Sangli, who represented herself to be Aparna Verma from Dubai. 6.

Perusal of the record shows that the name of the present Applicant is not mentioned in the FIR. As per the FIR, no role has

been attributed to the present Applicant. There are no other antecedents.

7.

During the investigation, it was revealed that the Applicant was in contact with Co-Accused-Rajendra Landge and Shailesh Thombare, who have purchased the property from said Aparna Yashpal Verma from Sangli, who represented to the Registering Authority that she was Aparna Yashpal Verma from Dubai. 8.

Admittedly, said Aparna Yashpal Verma has filed Special Civil Suit No.1875 of 2022 against these Purchasers, against whom the allegation is that they were part of a conspiracy and were involved in the crime whereby Aparna Verma from Sangli represented herself and acted as Aparna Yashpal Verma from Dubai. 9.

Even as per the prosecution case, the role of the present Applicant is that he acted as a Mediator in settling the dispute involved in Special Civil Suit No.1875 of 2022 filed by Aparna Verma from Dubai against the persons who claimed to have purchased the property.

10.

Thus, in the facts and circumstances, the case is made out for grant of anticipatory bail.

11.

In view thereof, the following Order is passed:

O R D E R

(a) In the event of arrest of the Applicant - Rameshwar Baliram Mhaske, in connection with CR No.195 of 2025 registered with the Chandannagar Police Station, Pune City, he be released on bail on his furnishing PR Bond in the sum of Rs.25,000/- with one or two solvent sureties in the like amount. (b) The Applicant shall attend the concerned Police Station on 20th February 2026 and 21st February 2026 between 11:00 am to 02:00 pm and thereafter once in a month i.e. on the first Sunday of every month between 11:00 am to 02:00 pm, and shall cooperate with the investigation.

(c) The Applicant shall furnish his cell phone number and residential address to the Investigating Officer and shall keep the same updated, in case of any change

thereto.

(d) 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 such a person from disclosing the facts to the Court or to any Police personnel.

(e) The Applicant shall not tamper with the prosecution evidence and shall not contact or influence the Complainant or any witness in any manner.

(f) The Applicant shall deposit the passport with the Investigating Officer.

(g) The Applicant shall not leave India without prior permission of the learned Trial Court/Sessions Court. 12.

The Anticipatory Bail Application is disposed of accordingly. [MADHAV J. JAMDAR, J.]