Police chargesheet Palande, Vora

The Mumbai crime branch on Saturday filed a 166-page charge sheet against murder accused Vijay Palande and stockbroker Gautam Vora in connection with the former's dramatic escape from the crime branch's custody.

The Mumbai crime branch on Saturday filed a 166-page charge sheet against murder accused Vijay Palande and stockbroker Gautam Vora in connection with the former's dramatic escape from the crime branch's custody.

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But the Esplanade magistrate court has sought clarification on the applicability of two charges slapped against the two – under sections 224 (creating obstruction in somebody's own legal apprehension) and 225 (creating obstruction in somebody else's legal apprehension) of the Indian Penal Code.

After the crime branch filed the charge sheet, the magistrate first handed over a copy to Vora who was present in the court, but then took it back after finding anomaly in the applicability of the two charges. The share broker has now been asked to collect the copy next week.

The crime branch has cited 28 prosecution witnesses, which includes eight police personnel. The police have also relied on results of identification parades in which two witnesses each have separately identified both Palande and Vora.

According to the police, Palande then called Vora and met him outside Marine Lines railway station. The duo then checked into a hotel in Colaba at around 11pm, where they stayed for the next two hours.