1 ba 3259 of 2026.odt IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION CRIMINAL BAIL APPLICATION NO. 3259 OF 2026 Vikas Deepak Sing .. Petitioners Versus The State of Maharashtra .. Respondent ....................  Mr. Aniket Vagal a/w. S. Kolhekar and Juhi Kadu, Advocate for Applicant.  Mr. Yogesh Nakhwa, APP for the Respondent – State. ................… CORAM : MILIND N. JADHAV, J. DATE : AUGUST 19, 2026 P. C. : 1. Heard Mr. Vagal, learned Advocate for the Applicant and Mr. Nakhwa, learned APP for the Respondent–State. 2. By this Application, the Applicant is seeking bail in connection with CR No. 283 of 2022 registered with Baramati Taluka Police Station, Pune, for the offences punishable under Sections 302, 323 and 504 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). 3. The Applicant is arraigned as sole accused in the present for having committed murder of co-worker Raju Patil @ Ganesh Prabhakhar Chavan. Both of them were employed in a restaurant call Matoshri Macchi Khanaval in different department. Mr. Raju Patil was handling the Veg Food Department, whereas Vikas Deepak Singh was Rajeshri Aher 1 of 5 RAJESHRI PRAKASH AHER Digitally signed by RAJESHRI PRAKASH AHER Date: 2026.08.20 20:47:53 +0530 1 ba 3259 of 2026.odt handling the Roti Department. Two days prior to the date of the incident, on two occasions, there was a minor scuffle and fight between the two with regard to the admonishment of the Applicant Raju Patil by informing him that he was not supposed to enter the Tandoor department and his work was delegated to the Roti department. 4. The witnesses examined by the prosecution have all unanimously stated that they had witnessed the argument, friction and the tension between the two on both the previous two precursor days when they both had confronted each other. The matter also reached the owner of the restaurant, who summoned them, but, only the Applicant visited him and the deceased–victim was away at Baramati. On the fateful day of the incident, the first informant who was one of the employee in another department of the same restaurant got a call that both Vikas Singh and Raju Patil were abusing and beating each other and were having a fist fight. The fight between the two escalated to a certain extent and then it got out of hand spilled out of the restaurant premises, which is prima facie seen from the spot panchanama appended at page 45 of the Application. The fight was incidentally witnessed by many eyewitnesses, and in that fight Vikas Singh got hold of a kitchen knife from the restaurant premises and inflicted three blows on the cheek, stomach and chest causing injury to Rajeshri Aher 2 of 5 1 ba 3259 of 2026.odt the victim Raju Patil. Unfortunately, the said blow was fatal, which resulted in the victim succumbing to his injuries. Mr. Vagal vehemently argued that there was no premeditation, nor any mens rea to effect the ultimate act, namely, the murder of Raju Patil, and precursor incidents which occurred on the two previous days having been witnessed by all be taken into account. He would also submit that the trial has commenced and three witnesses have been examined, but the period of incarceration of the Applicant, who has been in custody for more than four years and three months, be therefore considered by this Court since the trial would take a long time to be completed. 5. The learned APP for the Respondent Mr. Nakhwa has drawn my attention to the eye witnesses accounts, appended at Page Nos. 39 and 40, and with his able assistance has perused the same. Prima facie, there is no denial of the aforesaid facts which are recorded by the Court, but in view of the appealing submissions made by Mr. Vagal and aforesaid reasons, I am inclined to grant the present Application and release the Applicant on bail. Therefore the Application is allowed. The Applicant is, therefore, released on bail. 6. In view of the above the following order is passed:- :: O R D E R :: (i) Applicant is directed to be immediately released from prison in connection with Crime No. 283 of 2022; Rajeshri Aher 3 of 5 1 ba 3259 of 2026.odt (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 surety of the like amount; (iii) Applicant shall report to the Investigating Officer at Baramati Police Station, Pune, once every month on the first Sunday between 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.; (iv) Applicant shall co-operate with the conduct of trial and attend the Trial Court on all dates, unless specifically exempted and will not take any unnecessary adjournments, if he does so, it will entitle the prosecution to apply for revocation of this order; (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 address and mobile contact number and / or change of residence or mobile details, if any, from time to time, as applicable; and (viii) Any infraction of the conditions shall entail cancellation of bail granted to the Applicant. Rajeshri Aher 4 of 5 1 ba 3259 of 2026.odt 7. 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 herein above in this order. 8. Bail Application is allowed and disposed of in the above terms. [ MILIND N. JADHAV, J. ] Rajeshri Aher 5 of 5