HC upholds right to speedy trial, grants bail to five in 2018 arms haul case

August 06, 2024 18:10

A view of Bombay high court/File image

Speedy trial has received recognition of the fundamental right of a person facing accusations, the Bombay high court has said while granting bail to five persons arrested by the Maharashtra ATS in 2018 for allegedly plotting to attack Pune's Sunburn festival in 2017.

A division bench comprising Justices Bharati Dangre and Manjusha Deshpande said in an order on July 30 that the evidence presented by the prosecution was insufficient to substantiate the conspiracy charges, and noted the lengthy incarceration of the accused and the bleak prospects of a speedy trial.

The five accused, Sujith Rangaswamy, Amit Baddi, Ganesh Miskin, Shrikant Pangarkar and Bharat Kurane, were arrested in 2018 after the ATS had seized a cache of arms, ammunition, and explosives from the residence of two other suspects in Nalasopara in 2018.

The five accused have been in custody since 2018, and the trial is expected to be lengthy, with 417 witnesses on the prosecution's list.

"The chances of timely completion of trial appear to be bleak. Speedy trial has received recognition of the fundamental right of a person facing accusations," the bench said.

The ATS had claimed the cache of arms and ammunition were intended for an attack on the Sunburn music festival in December 2017.

The ATS case was that the accused persons were active members of right-wing groups 'Sanatan Sanstha' and 'Hindu Janjagruti Samiti', and they were influenced by the philosophy of creation of a 'Hindu Rashtra'.

The court, which was hearing appeals filed by the accused challenging a special court order refusing them bail, noted that none of the alleged attacks was carried out. -- PTI

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