Pratik Alias Rohit Sanjay Khedkar v. The State Of Maharashtra
2026:BHC-AUG:8829 -1IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY BENCH AT AURANGABAD BAIL APPLICATION NO. 203 OF 2026 PRATIK ALIAS ROHIT SANJAY KHEDKAR
VERSUS
THE STATE OF MAHARASHTRA *** Advocate for Applicant : Mr. Harshal P. Randhir APP for Respondents-State : Mr. A. R. Kale *** CORAM : SACHIN S. DESHMUKH, J.
Date : 27th February, 2026 ORDER :- 1.
The applicant has approached this Court seeking regular bail in connection with FIR dated 10.04.2022 bearing Crime No. 152 of 2022 registered with Pachora Police Station, Dist. Jalgaon for the offences punishable under Sections 302, 201 read with 34 of the Indian Penal Code.
2.
The prosecution case is that on 10.04.2022, informant Vandana Sanjay Khedkar lodged the complaint at the Pachora Police Station. Informant accompanied with her husband Sanjay Bankat Khedkar and their two sons Pratik alias Rohit and Manoj (accused). The family operated an electrical shop, while the sons worked as a courier boy for Flipkart and after other is an employee at Tata Company in Pune respectively. The complainant stated that
-2throughout their 27-year marriage, her husband habitually suspected her character, which served as a constant source of domestic conflict.
3.
The incident occurred on the night of 09.04.2022, approximately at 11:30 pm, in an upstairs room of their residence. While the complainant and her husband were together, Sanjay Khedkar began abusing obscenely based on his suspicions and allegedly brandished a sharp knife hidden under a mattress. When attempted to attack the complainant, their younger son, Manoj, rushed upstairs to intervene. During the struggle to disarm his father, Manoj sustained a cut to the little finger of his left hand. The situation escalated when the elder son, Pratik alias Rohit, also arrived at the scene.
4.
Provoked by the ongoing verbal abuse directed at their mother, the both sons attacked their father. Pratik alias Rohit snatched the knife and stabbed Sanjay Khedkar in the back. Subsequently, Manoj took the weapon and inflicted multiple stab wounds to Sanjay's neck, chest, and stomach. Sanjay Khedkar lost consciousness and died from his injuries.
5.
The learned counsel for applicant submits that the incident was not a premeditated act of murder but a spontaneous
-3reaction to grave and sudden provocation. The applicant was arrested on 11.04.2022. Applicant has suffered incarceration for more than three years. As such, prolonged incarceration of the applicant is unjustified. Hence, prayed to allow the application. 6.
Per contra, the learned APP submits that the crime is serious in nature and there is sufficient material on record to establish the complicity of the applicant. Hence, prayed to reject the application.
7.
Upon considering the submissions of both the sides and perusing the material on record, including the charge-sheet, the complaint lodged on 10.04.2022, indicates a long-standing history of domestic distress. The deceased had reportedly subjected the complainant to character assassination for long. On the night of the incident, the deceased was the initial aggressor, having armed himself with a weapon (knife) kept under a mattress to threaten the complainant. The act of the applicant prima faice appears to be a spontaneous reaction to the grave and sudden provocation caused noticing his mother in imminent danger and his younger brother already injured. At this prima facie stage, the element of premeditated common intention to commit murder is significantly weakened.
-48.
Moreover, the applicant has been in custody since 11.04.2022, having already suffered incarceration for more than three years. Considering that the trial is unlikely to conclude in the near future, further pre-trial incarceration serves no punitive or investigative purpose. Consequently, the applicant's continued deprivation of liberty is unjustified and is entitled to be released on bail. The applicant does not have any criminal antecedents and can be enlarged on bail by imposing stringent conditions. 9.
Hence, the following order :-
ORDER
(I) Application is allowed.
(II) Applicant - Pratik @ Rohit Sanjay Khedkar be released on regular bail on furnishing P.R. bond of Rs. 50,000/- (Fifty Thousand Only) with one or two local solvent sureties in the like amount, in connection with Crime No. 152 of 2022 registered with Pachora Police Station, Dist. Jalgaon for the offences punishable under Sections 302, 201 read with 34 of the Indian Penal Code, on the following conditions :- (a)The applicant shall attend each and every date of the Trial Court unless exempted by the Trial Court. (b)The applicant shall not pressurize the prosecution witnesses and shall not tamper with the prosecution
-5evidence, in any manner.
(c) The applicant shall submit his Aadhar and Pan Card to the Investigation Officer and detailed addresses and phone numbers of applicant and two of the near relatives.
(d)In case of breach of any of the conditions by the applicant, it is open for the Prosecution to move this Court seeking cancellation of bail.
(III) Needless to states that the observations rendered herein are to the extent of this application and the trial court shall not be influenced by the same. (SACHIN S. DESHMUKH, J.) Omkar Joshi