HC grants bail to gangster’s aide in murder case

The Bombay high court on Wednesday granted bail to an associate of gangster Vijay Palande, citing his prolonged incarceration in connection with the alleged murder of Delhi businessman Arun Kumar Tikku

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court on Wednesday granted bail to an associate of gangster Vijay Palande, citing his prolonged incarceration in connection with the alleged murder of Delhi businessman Arun Kumar Tikku. Considering the remote possibility of the completion of the trial soon, the court underscored the constitutional right of the accused for a fair and speedy trial.

HC grants bail to gangster’s aide in murder case

The accused, Jagdish Kailash Shejav, also known as Dhananjay Shinde, was arrested on April 10, 2012, in connection with the murder of the businessman.

As per the prosecution, gangster Vijay Palande, who allegedly masterminded the murder, had prepared documents to show it as a case of suicide, purportedly with the intention of usurping Tikku’s property worth over ₹50 crore.

Advocate Prashant Pandey and others, who appeared on behalf of the accused, highlighted the prolonged incarceration of 12 years, stating that it was a clear violation of his fundamental rights. They highlighted the principle of parity, stating that the co-accused was granted bail in August 2022, based on prolonged incarceration and pending trial.

The court, presided over by justice Manish Pitale, relied on Supreme Court judgments to state that undertrial prisoners, who have undergone prolonged incarceration with remote possibility of trial being completed soon, shall be entitled to bail.

The court opined that that the facts of the present case justify exercise of power by the court to grant relief to Shejav, subject to appropriate conditions, and granted bail on a personal bond of ₹25,000 with one or two sureties.