Nalasopara arms haul case: Bombay HC grants bail to man held for making bombs for use at Pune Sunburn festival

The Bombay High Court has issued bail to a 44-year-old man who had been arrested in 2018 on charges of being associated with the right-wing organization Sanathan Sanstha and for his alleged involvement in the creation of crude bombs intended for targeting the Sunburn festival in Pune.

A division bench of Justices Revati Mohite-Dere and Gauri Godse on September 20 granted bail to Vaibhav Raut noting that he had been incarcerated for over five years now and the trial in the case is not likely to conclude soon. The order was made available on Friday.

The bench also opined that the prosecution case against Raut that he had prepared bombs was not corroborated. It also took note of the fact that the godown from where the bombs were recovered was not owned by Raut. The bench while relying on an earlier order (granting bail to a co-accused) noted that Sanathan Sanstha was not an organisation that was banned or declared as a terrorist outfit by the Centre.

Raut was taken into custody in 2018 by the Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) on multiple charges including those under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, the Indian Penal Code, and the Explosives Substances Act. This arrest came after crude bombs were reportedly discovered in a warehouse located in Nalasopara, a suburb on the outskirts of Mumbai.

In his bail request, Raut's lawyer, Sana Raees Khan, contended that three other individuals implicated in the same case had already been granted bail. Khan further argued that the ownership of the warehouse where the crude bombs were found did not belong to Raut but to someone else.

The bench in its order said Raut did not own either the residence or the godown from where the bombs were allegedly recovered. It is pertinent to note that the minimum sentence that can be awarded under the provisions of the UAPA is 5 years and the same can extend up to life imprisonment. The appellant (Raut) is in custody and had been incarcerated for the last 5 years, HC said.