Mumbai, April 30, 2024 – The Additional Sessions Judge S.M. Tapkire at the Sessions Court for Greater Bombay granted bail to Pratap Ramavtar Singh @ Bagla, a 26-year-old labourer, who was accused in connection with an assault case involving allegations under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Arms Act. The order, passed on April 26, 2024, pertains to C.R. No. 1052/2023 registered at the Ghatkopar Police Station.
The accused, Pratap Singh, was booked under Sections 307 (Attempt to murder), 324 (Voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 323 (Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (Intentional1 insult with intent to provoke breach of the2 peace), 506(2) (Criminal intimidation), read with Section 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the IPC, as well as Sections 4 and 25 of the Indian Arms Act, 1959, and Sections 37(1)(a) and 135 of the Maharashtra Police Act, 1951.
The prosecution, represented by Ld. S.P.P. S.V. Kekanis and Ld. S.P.P Manisha J. Parmar, strongly opposed the bail application filed by the accused, who was represented by Ld. Advocate Noorsaba Shaikh.
According to the prosecution’s case, the incident occurred on November 26, 2023, at approximately 11:30 p.m. The informant, Santosh Chavan, alleged that the applicant, Pratap Singh, and co-accused Mohd. Altaf Ansari obstructed him and assaulted him on the head with a helmet without any provocation. When the informant’s mother and brother tried to intervene, the accused allegedly threatened them with a sword. The informant reportedly sustained serious injuries in the assault and was hospitalized.
The applicant, Pratap Singh, denied all the allegations, claiming false implication. His defense also highlighted the existence of counter-cases filed by both parties, with C.R. No. 1053 of 2023 being registered against the informant and his relatives, who were reportedly arrested immediately after the registration of the present case. The defense further pointed out that the investigation was complete, and a charge sheet had already been filed.
After hearing the arguments from both sides and examining the case records, Additional Sessions Judge S.M. Tapkire noted that the dispute appeared to have arisen from the teasing of the informant by the applicant and his co-accused. The court acknowledged the allegation that the co-accused, Mohd. Altaf Ansari, assaulted the informant with a helmet, causing simple injury as per the injury certificate.
Considering that the investigation was complete and the charge sheet had been submitted, the court found no substantial justification for the applicant’s further custodial detention for an indefinite period. The court also noted that the alleged weapons were discovered and seized at the instance of the co-accused, and there were no specific allegations against the applicant regarding causing injuries with a deadly weapon.
Consequently, the court was inclined to grant bail to the applicant, Pratap Singh, subject to stringent conditions.
The order stipulated the following conditions for the bail:
a. The applicant, Pratap Ramavtar Singh alias Bagla, shall be released upon executing a Personal Recognizance (P.R.) Bond of ₹1,00,000/- (Rupees One Lakh Only) and furnishing one or two solvent sureties of the like amount in connection with C.R. No. 1052 of 2023 registered at Ghatkopar Police Station.
b. The applicant shall not tamper with or influence the prosecution witnesses and evidence in any manner.
c. The applicant shall attend every date of the trial without fail.
d. The applicant shall not indulge in any criminal activity.
e. The applicant shall not leave India without the prior permission of the Learned Trial Court.
f. The applicant shall submit his proper and verifiable residential address proof, as well as telephone and cell numbers, to the respondent for contact purposes.
g. The applicant shall ensure compliance with the surety requirements before the Learned Trial/Committal Court.
h. The order shall be communicated to the Learned Trial/Committal Court and the Investigating Officer/Ghatkopar Police Station.
i. The Ghatkopar Police Station shall take note of the order.
The court concluded by stating that Criminal Bail Application No. 898 of 2024 stands disposed of accordingly.
This order provides relief to the accused, Pratap Singh, acknowledging the completion of the investigation and the submission of the charge sheet, while also imposing conditions to ensure his cooperation with the trial and prevent any obstruction of justice. The case will now proceed to trial in the relevant court.