A Sessions court has rejected the temporary bail to four accused in the Kurar quadruple murder case, one of whom had pleaded for bail on the grounds of being HIV positive.
All the four - including the main accused, a history-sheeter Uday Pathak had cited the coronavirus pandemic situation and overcrowding in jails as well as the recommendations of the High Power Committee (HPC) for decongesting prisons. Their advocate had argued that the offence of murder was not among the list of offences under exceptions as per the guidelines of the HPC, meaning that those charged with murder could be granted bail.
For one of the accused who had applied for grant of bail as he was HIV positive, he argued that he is of low immunity and in danger of contracting the virus.
Opposing the grant of bail to the four, Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam argued that the offences they are charged with are serious in nature, where four youngsters were murdered in cold blood. Nikam also pointed that the act was committed with devious planning. The bail pleas of three of them had been rejected on merits previously, he argued and informed that offences of ransom was registered against three of the accused - including the one HIV positive, while they were in jail as undertrials. Further, there is no evidence produced that the concerned applicant is HIV positive he pointed.
Additional Sessions Judge Prashant R. Sitre said in his order while rejecting the bail pleas that on perusal of the documents on record, it was found that the applicants were involved in serious offence. “They have committed the murder of four persons. The act is barbarous in nature,” judge Sitre said.
Further, the order noted that the HPC had issued guidelines to consider bail pleas but these must be decided considering all aspects and the merit of the case.
On June 6, 2011, the naked charred bodies of Chetan Dhule (24), Dinesh Ihire (26), Ganesh Karanje (24) and Bharat Kudle (27), residents of Shantaram Pada in Malad East were found in the deserted hillock of Appapada behind Kurar Village. The murders happened due to a minor argument the previous evening that one youth got into unaware that Uday Pathak was a local goon.
