PANJIM: The Panjim Additional Sessions Court-1 dismissed the bail application of Babu alias Narayan Bhalekar of Mapusa, who was arrested on the charge of murdering Ahamed Devdi at Ganeshpuri, Mapusa, in May this year.
In his bail application, Bhalekar pleaded his innocence and stated that there was no evidence against him. He denied his connection with the alleged offenses registered against him, based on a complaint by Keshar Devdi of Khorlim, Mapusa. Devdi had complained that four persons assaulted his son Ahamed Devdi and his son’s friend Sandesh Salkar with metal rods and threatened them with dire consequences. Ahamed died while undergoing treatment, and Salkar underwent surgery and was still under medication.
The Court had earlier rejected the bail applications of Manthan Chari, Abhishek Pujari, and Mutappa alias Sunny Nikode, considering the nature of the crime. Bhalekar was arrested on June 26 this year.
Arguing on behalf of the applicant, Adv. Gopal Kanekar said that Bhalekar was not a part of the crime and had not played a role in any conspiracy or committed the crime. He also brought to the notice of the court that one of the accused had been released on bail.
Appearing for the intervenor Sandesh Salkar, Adv. Vinayak Porobo produced photographs to show the manner in which Salkar was brutally assaulted by the accused. He also placed on record a CD containing an audio recording of oral threats issued by the prime accused to the deceased and the intervenor. The prime accused, along with the applicant and other accused, had hatched a criminal conspiracy on account of some previous enmity, he told the court.
Adv. Porobo further stated that the applicant heads a gang of Bhalekar brothers and was a history-sheeter and a habitual criminal. He feared that if granted bail, Bhalekar would threaten the witnesses of the case.
All the accused have been chargesheeted under sections 326, 506 (ii), 307, 120 B, 212, 302, and 201 read with 34 of the IPC. Mapusa PI Nikhil Palekar investigated the case and chargesheeted the accused.
