65.BA.2548.2026.doc Ajay IN IN THE THE HIGH HIGH COURT COURT OF OF JUDICATURE JUDICATURE AT AT BOMBAY BOMBAY CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION BAIL APPLICATION NO. 2548 OF 2026 Vinod Vishwanath More .. Applicant Versus The State of Maharashtra .. Respondent ....................  Mr. Amey D. Deshpande, Advocate for Applicant.  Ms. Rajeshree V. Newton, APP for Respondent. ................... CORAM : MILIND N. JADHAV, J. DATE : OCTOBER 09, 2026 P.C. : 1. Heard Mr. Deshpande, learned Advocate for Applicant and Ms. Newton, learned APP for Respondent. 2. This is an Application under Section 483 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 seeking bail in connection with F.I.R. No.288 of 2025 registered with Dehu Road Police Station for offences punishable under Sections 103(3) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and Sections 37(1)(3) and 135 of the Maharashtra Police Act, 1951. 3. Applicant is indicted for the offence of murder of his friend. Out of the 4 accused persons, 3 of the accused persons are enlarged on bail whereas Applicant who is accused person No.3 was arrested on 21.08.2025. The incident in question happened in the intervening night of 19.08.2025 and 20.08.2025. 1 of 5 65.BA.2548.2026.doc 4. The prosecution case is that the victim and Applicant alongwith their friends were all known to each other. The victim used to regularly drink at Samrat Garden Hotel and on the evening of 19.08.2025, he was drunk and he collapsed outside the hotel. What transpired inside the hotel was a verbal altercation between the victim, Applicant and his other friends which led to a scuffle. The witness statements prima facie show that both the victim and Applicant attacked each other in an intoxicated state of mind. 5. The witness statements further state that Applicant took help of a stick which was lying in the hotel and inflicted three blows with the stick on the head, abdomen and leg of the victim, pursuant to which he collapsed. However, he was conscious and he went outside the hotel and lay down sleeping outside the hotel. This incident occurred at 05:30 p.m. in the evening. Later on in the night, when Applicant and his friends returned back, they found the victim sleeping in the same position at the same place and when they tried to wake him up, he was unconscious. They therefore took him immediately to the local hospital and thereafter shifted him to a bigger hospital in Pimpri where he was pronounced dead before treatment. 6. Prima facie, insofar as the motive for the crime is concerned, there is none. The precursor incident which occurred at 05:30 p.m. in the evening was an incident which occurred at the spur of the moment 2 of 5 65.BA.2548.2026.doc when there was a quarrel between the victim and Applicant and his friends on the issue of drinking liquor. When the victim was denied further liquor, he created a ruckus and squabbled with Applicant and his friends. The statement of one of the eye witnesses named Tanaji More prima facie also states that after the precursor incident, he with the help of others took the victim and made him sit inside the cottage which was located outside the hotel, when he was fully conscious. 7. In view of the aforesaid and the fact that the charge-sheet has been filed, no further custodial interrogation is required to be done and the trial will take a long time to conclude. On the ground of parity, I am inclined to consider the case of Applicant for grant of bail. 8. Hence, in view of above prima facie observations and findings, Bail Application of Applicant is allowed subject to the following terms and conditions:- (i) Applicant – Vinod Vishwanath More is directed to be immediately released from prison in connection with F.I.R. No.288 of 2025; (ii) Applicant is directed to be released on bail on furnishing P.R. Bond of Rs.25,000/- (Rs. Twenty Five Thousand only) with one or two sureties in the like amount; 3 of 5 65.BA.2548.2026.doc (iii) Applicant shall report to the Investigating Officer at concerned Police Station, once every month, on the first Monday of the month between 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. until commencement of trial and thereafter shall attend all dates of hearing before the Trial Court; (iv) Applicant shall cooperate with the conduct of the trial and remain present before the Trial Court on all dates, unless specifically exempted. Applicant shall not seek unnecessary adjournments. Any such conduct shall entitle the prosecution to apply for cancellation of bail; (v) Applicant shall not leave the State of Maharashtra without prior permission of the Trial Court; (vi) Applicant shall not influence any of the witnesses or tamper with the evidence in any manner; (vii) Applicant shall keep the Investigating Officer informed of his current residential address and mobile telephone number and shall forthwith inform the Investigating Officer of any change in his residential address or mobile telephone number, as and when such change occurs; and 4 of 5 65.BA.2548.2026.doc (viii)Any breach or infraction of any of the aforesaid conditions shall entail cancellation of the bail granted to the Applicant. 9. It is clarified that the observations made in this order are limited for the purpose of granting bail only and I have not made any observations on merits of the case. The trial shall be adjudicated on the strength of the evidence led and strictly on its own merits being uninfluenced with any of the prima facie observations made hereinabove in this order. 10. Bail Application is allowed and disposed in the above terms. [ MILIND N. JADHAV, J. ] Ajay 5 of 5 AJAY TRAMBAK UGALMUGALE Digitally signed by AJAY TRAMBAK UGALMUGALE Date: 2026.10.10 10:34:09 +0530