Machhindra Vitthal Donde v. State Of Maharashtra
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION CRIMINAL BAIL APPLICATION NO. 1567 OF 2026 Machhindra Vitthal Donde ...Applicant
VERSUS
State Of Maharashtra ....Respondent VAISHALI ANIL TIKAM _________________________________________________________________ by VAISHALI ANIL TIKAM Date:
2026.04.20 13:27:24 +0530 Mr. Akshay Bankapur, Advocate for Applicant.
Ms. Gauri Rao, APP for Respondent-State.
ACP Haridas Killedar, ACB, Mumbai.
_________________________________________________________________
CORAM
: SHIVKUMAR DIGE, J.
DATE : 16th APRIL, 2026.
P.C. :
1.
Heard learned counsel for the Applicant and learned APP for the State.
2.
By this Application, the Applicant is seeking regular bail in Crime No.130 of 2026 registered with Indira Nagar Police Station, Nashik for the offences punishable under Sections 7, 7A and 12 of The Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
3.
It is prosecution case's that on 04/03/2026,Applicant and coaccused demanded bribe of Rs.1 Crore from first informant and on 06/03/2026 while accepting the amount of Rs.20 lacs of the first installment of the said bribe amount, applicant and co-accused are arrested.
4.
It is contention of learned counsel for the Applicant that Applicant is behind bars for more than one month. He is government servant. Investigation is almost completed. The co-accused, having similar allegations, has been released on bail and requested to allow the application.
5.
It is contention of learned APP that investigation is in progress, yet charge-sheet has not been filed. Applicant demanded the bribe of Rs.1 crore and co-accused is arrested while accepting Rs.20 lacs on behalf of the applicant. If Applicant is released on bail, he may abscond or may hamper the investigation and requested to reject the application. 6.
I have heard both learned counsel, perused charge-sheet and documents produced on record.
7.
The Applicant is government service. Applicant is behind bars for more than one month. The bribe amount is seized. Investigation is almost completed. The co-accused, having similar allegations, has been released on bail.
8.
Considering these fact, I pass following order:
ORDER
(i) The Applicant- Machhindra Vitthal Donde be released on bail in Crime No.130 of 2026 registered with Indira Nagar Police Station, Nashik, on furnishing PR bond of Rs.25,000/- with one or two solvent sureties in
the like amount.
(ii) The Applicant shall not tamper with the evidence and/or influence the prosecution witnesses.
(iii) The Trial Court shall decide the case on its own merits and in accordance with law, uninfluenced by the observations made in this order. (iv) The Applicant shall attend the office of ACB, Mumbai on every Thursday between 11.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. once in a week till filing of the charge-sheet.
(v) Bail Application is allowed in the aforesaid terms. (SHIVKUMAR DIGE, J.)