Mumbai : The Bombay High Court has rejected the bail plea of an accused in the 2006 Aurangabad arms haul case, observing it would not be proper to release him when the trial is at its tail-end and asked the relevant lower court to expedite the proceedings.
Rejecting the bail application of Mohammed Sharif Shabbir Ahmed earlier this week, Justice Abhay Thipsay, however, directed the trial court to wrap up the proceedings at the earliest by conducting day-to-day hearing as all the accused are in jail since their arrest nine years ago. Ahmed, one of the 22 accused arrested in the case, had moved the High Court for bail after the trial court rejected his plea in March 2014.
Ahmed and other accused were charged under various sections of stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), Indian Penal Code (IPC), Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Arms Act, Explosive Substances Act. In May 2006, Maharashtra ATS had seized 10 AK-47 assault rifles, a packet of four magazines, 200 live cartridges and explosive substances after intercepting two cars near Aurangabad in Marathwada region of the state.
