Nashik: Additional Sessions Judge R. N. Pandhare denied bail on Thursday (September 24) to the prime accused, Ajay Pramod Srivastava, in connection with an assault on a college student near Umiya Apartments in the Canada Corner area.
The incident occurred on the night of September 1, 2026, at approximately 10:50 PM. A college student from Trimbakeshwar Taluka was standing near Umiya Apartments with a friend when an individual approached rapidly on a two-wheeler. It is alleged that when the student asked the rider to slow down, the individual hurled casteist slurs and threatened to convert him to another religion. Subsequently, a group of 15 to 20 people attacked the student and his friend with sticks. One of the accused is also alleged to have attempted to hit Mangesh Kulkarni by throwing a stone at him.
A case was registered at the Sarkarwada Police Station under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The police arrested Ajay Pramod Srivastava on September 2. Although his name was not explicitly mentioned in the initial complaint, the police informed the court that he was the mastermind behind the incident.
The police informed the court that Srivastava is financially well-off. He is suspected of being involved in a racket that pays poor and tribal youths to convert to Christianity. A thorough investigation into this matter is currently underway.
The prosecution strongly opposed the bail application. It was pointed out that if the accused were released on bail, there was a likelihood of them intimidating the complainant and witnesses, obstructing the investigation, and that other accused persons remained at large while witness statements were yet to be recorded.
The defence counsel submitted a pen drive containing CCTV footage from the accused's home, claiming he was at home rather than at the scene of the incident. However, the court observed that this footage had not yet undergone forensic and technical verification; therefore, it could not be relied upon at this stage.
A search for the other accused involved in the case is underway, and further investigation is being conducted by the Sarkarwada police.
