Bombay HC Grants Bail To 5 Accused In 2018 Arms Haul Case

Bombay High Court

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday granted bail to 5 individuals arrested by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad in connection with a 2018 arms haul case and a plot to attack the Sunburn festival in Pune. The court cited a lack of sufficient evidence to support the conspiracy charges.

Justices Bharati Dangre and Manjusha Deshpande, in their July 30 order, noted the lengthy incarceration of the accused and the unlikely prospect of a swift trial. The ATS had arrested the five in 2018 after seizing weapons, ammunition, and explosives from the residence of two other suspects in Nallasopara, Thane district. The ATS alleged these items were intended for use in targeting the Sunburn festival in December 2017.

The court reviewed the prosecution’s evidence and witness statements and found them “insufficient” to prove the conspiracy charges. “We have prima facie formed an opinion that these statements are insufficient to establish the charge of conspiracy against the appellants before us,” the court stated. It also noted that no attacks occurred and the festival went off without incident.

The court observed that the accused were arrested in August 2018, eight months after the festival, and only two witnesses have been summoned in the trial, which has 417 witnesses listed. “The chances of timely completion of trial appear to be bleak,” the bench said, highlighting the fundamental right to a speedy trial.

The court granted bail to the accused—Sujith Rangaswamy, Amit Baddi, Ganesh Miskin, Shrikant Pangarkar, and Bharat Kurane—on a personal bond of Rs 50,000 each. They are required to report to the ATS Mumbai office monthly and attend all trial court hearings.

The accused faced charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Explosives Act, and the Explosive Substances Act. The ATS had based its case on the interrogation of Sharad Kalaskar and Vaibhav Raut, who led to the arrest of these five and others. The ATS claimed that the accused were linked to right-wing groups and planned to disrupt events like the Sunburn festival as part of their agenda to oppose “anti-Hindu elements.”