Mumbai Sessions Court Denies Bail To Civil Engineer And Watchman Accused Of Beating Footpath Dweller To Death In Khetwadi

Mumbai: A sessions court recently refused to grant bail to a Khetwadi resident and a watchman of his building for allegedly beating a footpath dweller to death.

As per the prosecution, victim Jamil Khan was found dead by his friend at 12pm on October 22, 2024. The V P Road police had checked the CCTV footage which apparently showed the duo – watchman Kumar Singh, 44, and civil engineer Mayank Jethwa, 27, – along with co-accused and building resident Vishal Shinde, 28, brutally assaulting Khan. Shinde's plea for discharge has been rejected.

Khan used to work as a plumber and would spend nights on the footpath outside the Om Sai Apartment, argued the prosecution, adding that he used to daily consume alcohol outside the building. On the day of the incident, the trio allegedly assaulted Khan and his friend Ramesh Auji with stick, causing grievous injuries to the victim. Auji later called their friend Jamal Mohammad and they took Khan to JJ Hospital where he was declared dead.

The accused claimed that the prosecution's primary evidence is the CCTV footage. However, the deceased and the assailants are not identifiable in the visuals, they said.

The court, however, did not accept the defence and said that they were responsible for the injuries suffered by Khan. Pointing out that there are eyewitnesses, the judge said that the acts of the accused shows their intention to cause death of the deceased, which is culpable homicide amounting to murder.