Mumbai, Mar 12 (PTI) A Mumbai court has refused to grant bail to an accused arrested in the murder case of former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique, saying there was sufficient material indicating his involvement in the conspiracy as well as facilitating an organised crime syndicate.
In an order passed on March 9, special MCOCA judge Mahesh Jadhav refused to accept accused Bhagwan Singh’s contention of prolonged incarceration, saying the charges have already been framed in the 2024 case and prosecution has initiated steps for commencement of trial.
Therefore, the ground of delay in trial was not available to the applicant, the judge said, while rejecting the bail plea.
Siddique (66), an NCP leader, was shot dead by three assailants outside his son Zeeshan’s office in Mumbai’s Bandra (East) area on the night of October 12, 2024.
Singh, arrested just a week after the murder, sought bail on the ground that he was innocent and had been falsely implicated in the case.
He contended that merely because there were telephonic exchanges between him and co-accused, it cannot be inferred that he was a party to the alleged conspiracy behind the murder.
The confessional statements of co-accused, based on which Singh was arrested, are “hearsay in nature”, claimed the plea.
According to defence, there was no direct or cogent evidence connecting the applicant with the commission of the offence or the alleged conspiracy.
The defence mentioned that a co-accused has been granted bail by the Bombay High Court and hence Singh should also be released on the ground of parity.
The prosecution as well as advocates Pradip Gharat and Trivankumar Karnani — appearing for the victim’s side –opposed Singh’s plea.
They claimed there was material in the chargesheet which establishes the prima facie case against the accused.
The court, after considering the nature of allegations, was of “the prima facie view that there is sufficient material indicating Singh’s involvement in the conspiracy and in facilitating the organised crime syndicate” (involved in the murder).
On the contention of parity, the judge held that the role attributed to Singh and the material placed against him were different.
The considerations which weighed with the High Court while granting bail to a co-accused cannot be applied to him, the special judge observed.
As many as 26 arrested individuals have been chargesheeted in the case and one of them is currently out on bail. Anmol Bishnoi, brother of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, and two others have been shown as wanted accused in the case.
All the accused have been booked under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). PTI AVI RSY
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