Siddharth Keshav Ranpise v. The State Of Maharashtra And ANR.

43-ia4529-25.doc vai

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY

CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION VASANT ANANDRAO IDHOL INTERIM APPLICATION NO.4529 OF 2025 IN CRIMINAL APPEAL NO.714 OF 2022 by VASANT ANANDRAO IDHOL Date: 2026.03.18 11:28:16 +0530 Siddharth K. Ranpise ...Applicant V/s.

The State of Maharashtra & Anr.

..Respondents Mr.Anil G. Lalla with Mr.Yash P. and Adv.Roshil Alag for the Applicant.

Mr.R.M. Pethe for the State - Respondent.

Ms.Farhana Shah, appointed advocate for Respondent No.2. CORAM : R.M. JOSHI , J.

DATE : 12TH MARCH, 2026.

P.C. :- 1.

Learned counsel for the Applicant seeks bail on the ground that the Appeal has not been heard after the bail application was rejected on 10th April, 2023. 2.

Learned counsel for the Applicant submits that the Applicant has already undergone seven and half years out of 20 years of imprisonment imposed against him by the impugned 1/2

43-ia4529-25.doc judgment and order. In support of this submission, he placed reliance on the judgments of the Hon'ble Supreme Court in the case of V. Senthil Balaji vs. The Deputy Director, Directorate of Enforcement reported in 2024 INSC 739 and in the case of Gudikanti Narasimhulu & Ors., reported in 1978 AIR 429. 3.

Principally, there cannot be any dispute made with regard to the propositions sought to be canvassed by the learned counsel for the Applicant in respect of grant of bail. Here in this case, however this Court by order dated 10th April, 2023 after duly considering the fact that the amendment to Section 6 of POCSO Act has come into effect after the occurrence of the incident in question, still rejected the bail. Here in this case, the Applicant has not undergone even 50% of the sentence imposed against him. The stage of the Appeal is for final hearing of appeal. The Appeal can be heard finally. Hence at this stage no case is made out for grant of bail. The Application is dismissed. (R.M. JOSHI, J.) 2/2