The Bombay High Court on Wednesday granted bail to six accused in the case of killing of rationalist and author Govind Pansare in 2015, on the ground of their long incarceration and considering that the trial is not likely to be completed in the near future.
A single bench of Justice A S Kilor allowed the bail pleas of the six accused - Sachin Andure, Ganesh Miskin, Amit Degvekar, Amit Baddi, Bharat Kurane and Vasudev Suryavanshi.
They were arrested on different dates between 2018 and 2019, and have been in jail since then.
"There is no progress in the trial and if the period of incarceration of the applicants is considered, it is evident that the applicants are in jail for more than five years," Justice Kilor said.
Considering the pace with which the trial is proceeding and the number of witnesses remained to be examined, it is evident that there is no end of the trial in sight, the judgment said.
"In the present matter, the prosecution has cited about 231 witnesses and till date about 25 to 30 witnesses have been examined. Thus, it can be said that the trial is progressing with low pace and there is unlikelihood that it would not be concluded in near future," the HC said.
The bench granted bail to the accused on a bond of Rs 25,000 each.
In the order granting bail to Amit Ramchandra Degvekar, the HC said that prima facie there is no sufficient evidence to show the direct involvement of the applicant in the alleged offence.
Justice Kilor said the appropriate bench of the HC would hear separately the bail plea filed by another accused - Virendrasinh Tawade.
Pansare (82) was shot in Maharashtra's Kolhapur city on February 16, 2015, and he succumbed to his injuries on February 20.
The rationalist and his wife Uma were returning home from their morning walk in Samrat Nagar area of Kolhapur when two motorbike-borne men fired multiple rounds at them before fleeing.
Initially, the case was handled by Rajarampuri police station in Kolhapur. The investigation was later transferred to a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the supervision of additional director general of police (CID), Maharashtra.
Dissatisfied with the lack of progress in tracing the shooters, Pansare's family had sought the transfer of the case to the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS).
On August 3, 2022, the HC transferred the probe to the ATS, observing that there was "no headway" or "break through" in the case.
Of the 12 accused identified, 10 have been arrested, and four supplementary chargesheets filed. The trial against these 10 accused is on.
Two shooters in the case are still absconding.
The HC had been supervising the probe into the case, but earlier this month, the court said it would not continue to do so.
The high court had, however, ordered for the trial in the case to be expedited and for the same to be heard on a day-to-day basis.
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