Detaining undertrial prisoner ‘improper’ as trial timeline remains uncertain

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

Considering the large number of witnesses in a conspiracy to murder a socially influential person, it is uncertain when the trial will be completed. Keeping the applicant incarcerated as an undertrial prisoner until then would be “improper”, observed justice Sachin S. Deshmukh of the Aurangabad bench of the Bombay high court while granting conditional bail to the applicant, Kanchan alias Kalpesh Shrimant Salve, on January 23.

What was the incident?

Gangadhar, a complainant, had informed the police through an application on November 7, 2025, that a conspiracy was being hatched to murder a socially influential person. Based on this information, the Gondi police in Jalna district registered a case against unknown persons and arrested the applicant. Kanchan Salve had filed a bail application before the high court through adv S. P. Mahale.

Advocate Mahale submitted before the bench that the applicant’s name did not appear in the first information report (FIR) and that the offence was initially registered against an unknown person. He pointed out that the applicant had been implicated in the case solely on the basis of statements made by co-accused. He further argued that Salve had no criminal background and requested the court to grant him bail.

After hearing the matter, and taking into consideration the submissions made on behalf of the accused as well as the fact that the investigation in the case has been completed in all respects and the charge-sheet has already been filed, the bench granted bail to Salve on execution of a personal bond of Rs 50,000.