Mumbai: A court has observed that the allegations levelled against businessman and social worker Mauris Noronha’s bodyguard Amarendra Mishra, whose pistol was used to kill Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Abhishek Ghosalkar, “appear to be reasonable”. Noronha had allegedly used Mishra’s weapon to kill Ghosalkar during a Facebook live session in suburban Borivali on February 8 and later turned the same gun on himself. Mishra was arrested a day later.
Additional sessions judge Rajesh Sasne made the observation on March 5 while denying bail to Mishra, who was arrested under section 29 (B) of the Arms Act, which deals with the offence of handing over a weapon to someone without ascertaining if the person is legally permitted to possess it. The detailed order was available on Tuesday.
The court said that it needs to be investigated whether Mishra provided the gun to Noronha and entered into a conspiracy to kill Ghosalkar. However, Mishra claimed in his bail application that he is innocent and falsely implicated.
After hearing both sides, the court said prima facie, it appears that Noronha killed Ghosalkar using a gun belonging to his bodyguard. Mishra has provided a copy of the gun licence, it said.
Mishra has claimed that he kept the firearm in a locker Noronha had provided him. Therefore, it appears that if the gun was kept in the locker then the key to it must have been with the accused, the judge noted.
It is not the case that Noronha had broken into the locker, he said. It also noted that Noronha and Mishra had together purchased the bullets for the gun.
“The allegations levelled against the applicant appear to be reasonable to consider that he must have some role in the crime. The fact requires to be investigated whether the applicant, by providing the gun to Noronha, was in a criminal conspiracy to kill Ghosalkar,” the court stated.
