Vijay Palande cleared of possessing 12 live cartridges

Vijay Palande was acquitted by the Esplanade Metropolitan Magistrate court in a case of illegal ammunition possession, claiming the bullets were planted by officials.

MUMBAI: The Esplanade Metropolitan Magistrate court on Thursday acquitted multiple murder case accused Vijay Palande in a case involving illegal possession of ammunition.

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The case was registered after the crime branch had during a search found 12 live rounds of ammunition at the Andheri West residence of Palande, the main accused in the murder of film producer Karan Kakkad and Delhi businessman Arun Tikku.

The unlicensed 12 rounds of 9 mm bullets were discovered at a duct in Palande’s rented flat in Oberoi Springs during the searches conducted for some missing property documents belonging to Anuj, son of murdered businessman Arun Tikku.

Palande, who argued in person, stated that he was falsely implicated at the instance of some IPS officers, adding that the bullets were allegedly planted by crime branch officials. Further, he had submitted that the serial numbers of seized cartridges sent to the Forensic Science Laboratories were different from the ones shown in the seizure memorandum.

Additional chief judicial magistrate Vinod R Patil accepted his argument acquitted him and sent him to the district magistrate for disposal.