Court Grants Bail to Bodyguard in Sena UBT Leader Murder, Doubts Complicity

A Mumbai court has granted bail to Amarendra Singh, the bodyguard of local businessman Mauris Noronha. Singh's pistol was allegedly used in the murder of Shiv Sena UBT leader Abhishek Ghosalkar nearly five months ago. The court noted that Singh's involvement in the crime was highly doubtful.

Singh had sought bail for a second time after the Mumbai police filed a chargesheet. In his plea, Singh claimed that the police document did not indicate he conspired to commit the crime. Additional Sessions Court Judge V M Pathade allowed Singh's bail plea on June 26.

Judge Questions Evidence

The court observed that there was no material collected by the police suggesting Singh's involvement in acts leading to Ghosalkar's death and Noronha's subsequent suicide. The judge stated, "There is no acceptable material which would demonstrate presence of the accused at or near the place of incident so as to infer his complicity in the incident which ultimately resulted in the death of Ghosalkar and Mauris."

Noronha fatally shot Ghosalkar during a Facebook Live session in February before killing himself. Noronha, who faced several criminal cases, had previously been arrested in a rape case and spent nearly five months in jail.

Details of the Incident

The court stressed that if Singh had been part of any conspiracy to kill Ghosalkar, it would not have resulted in Noronha's death. The judge noted that Singh was an armed bodyguard of Noronha and his firearm was used in the killing and subsequent suicide.

The bail order highlighted that it did not appear from the FIR that Singh was present at the crime scene at the relevant time. The court also noted that Singh had been detained for more than four-and-a-half months, and his involvement in the offence punishable under IPC section 302 (murder) was highly doubtful.

Background Information

Noronha, a Mumbai-based businessman and social worker, had political aspirations and suspected Ghosalkar had implicated him in the rape case. This suspicion led to a tussle between them. After the incident, Noronha's wife informed the police about these suspicions.

Singh was arrested and booked under IPC section 302 (murder), relevant provisions of the Arms Act, and the Maharashtra Police Act. Despite these charges, the court found no evidence suggesting Singh's active participation in planning or executing the crime.

The judge concluded that there was no material collected by the investigating agency reasonably suggesting Singh's complicity in acts causing Ghosalkar's death. This decision led to granting bail to Singh after considering all aspects of the case presented by both sides.