A 22-year-old student, Akash Mukherjee, accused of assaulting and attempting to kill his girlfriend, Lubna Sukate, at Bandstand in Bandra in May 2023, has been granted bail by a sessions court, according to a report by Hindustan Times. Mukherjee claimed innocence, asserting that he was falsely implicated.
He argued that Sukate lost balance and fell on rocks after biting his fingers, causing him to react. The public prosecutor, Ashwini Raykar, opposed bail, citing Mukherjee's non-permanent residency as a flight risk.
What had happened?
The couple, who had been in a 13-month relationship, spent the day in Mumbai, discussing wedding plans. On the evening of May 31, at Bandstand, Mukherjee's advances made Sukate uncomfortable.
When she expressed a desire to go home, he suggested intimacy and, when rejected, resorted to violence. Mukherjee allegedly strangled Sukate, pushed her head towards rocks, and shoved her face into a puddle. Bystanders intervened upon hearing her screams, leading to Mukherjee's arrest.
“According to medical examination, it can be construed that such injuries sustained by Sukate are not possible by just a fall on the rocks,” said additional sessions judge SN Patil while granting the accused bail. The completed investigation and lack of further detention necessity were considered in the decision.
