Molestation case: Court accepts surety of 14 accused

Mumbai, Jan 8 (UNI) After spending nearly six days behind bars, the 14 youths accused of molesting two NRI women in the early hours of January one, may be released tomorrow as a local court ordered today.

The court had earlier granted bail to all of them on surety of Rs 10,000 each on January 4. However, as legal formalities remained incomplete, they were languishing in the Arthur Road Jail.

The accused moved an application in the Metropolitan Magistrate Court, Andheri today, stating that the police had failed to file a reply in the court to complete bail formalities.

After hearing their petition, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate B N Bondare accepted sureties provided by relatives of all the accused. Now, they are likely to come out of the jail tomorrow.

The accused -- Nilesh Mangesh Bagaikar (19), Sudhir Sudam Naikwade (19), Krunal Shivaji Jadhav (20), Shabi Agustani D'Souza (18), Ajay Anil Marathe (18), Vaibhav Anil Marathe (19), Sandip Mani Panchal (23), Manoj Mani Panchal (21), Sandip Phulchand Shukla (19), Derick Mohan Jadhav (19), Swapnil Ashok Mandare (21), Siddharth Rajnish Singh (19), Amit Hemraj Kapoor (28) and Ravindra Phulgani Shukla (27) -- were booked under sections 143, 147, 149, 323, 354, 341 and 504, to be read with section 135, of the Indian Penal Code.

It may be recalled that the two California-based women were allegedly molested by a group of New Year revellers outside a five-star hotel in North West Mumbai.

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