The Bombay High Court bench of Justices Sambhaji Shinde and Nizamoodin Jamadar on Thursday allowed Vikram Bhave, an accused in the Narendra Dabholkar murder case to travel to Ratnagiri to perform the last rites of his father, who died of Covid19 on June 25. The bench has allowed him to stay at Ratnagiri for a period of three weeks.
Bhave, who is accused of performing recee of the site, where Dabholkar was shot down in August 2013, was granted bail in May this year.
One of the conditions in the bail order was that is he shouldn't go out of Pune where the trial in the case is going on.
On Thursday, when the matter was called out for hearing, advocates Virendra Ichalkaranjikar and Madhur Rai for Bhave informed the judges that Bhave lost his father to Covid.
"He has to perform the last rites. Also, there's a huge loan on family and he has settled it with the concerned banks. He is the only son in the house," Rai told the judges.
Justice Shinde, having heard the submission, sought to know as to by when would Bhave leave Pune. The judge also asked Sandesh Patil, the special counsel for the prosecuting agency NIA, of objections, if any.
To which, Patil said the agency has no objections.
Further, Rai told the bench that his client would visit Sangamneshwar, Ratnagiri on Friday morning and would want to stay there at least for three weeks.
Accordingly, the bench allowed Bhave to stay at Ratnagiri for three weeks but ordered him to report to the local police station there, once a week.
"You (Bhave) will have to come back to Pune by August 10 and report to the Pune Police," Justice Shinde said.
"We accordingly, relax and modify the bail condition till three weeks. He will have to report to the local police at Sangameshwar, once a week," the bench said in its orders.
During the hearing, Patil said if Bhave fails to surrender on time his bail should stand cancelled. "If he doesn't surrender, the bail should stand cancelled as per the original bail order," he submitted.
However, Justice Shinde pointed out that there isn't any question of surrendering as he (Bhave) will have to return.
"Thus, we list this matter for compliance on August 13," Justice Shinde said while adjourning the hearing.
