15. BA-3515-26.odt Amberkar IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION BAIL APPLICATION NO. 3515 OF 2026 Ketan Ashok Varade .. Applicant Versus The State of Maharashtra .. Respondent ....................  Ms. Sana Raees Khan (through VC) a/w Mr. Jinay Jain, Advocates for Applicant  Mr. Amit A. Palkar, APP for State ................... CORAM : MILIND N. JADHAV, J. DATE : SEPTEMBER 21, 2026 P. C. : 1. Heard Ms. Khan, learned Advocate for Applicant and Mr. Palkar, learned APP for State. 2. This is an Application under Section 483 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 seeking Bail in connection with FIR No. 492/2023 dated 11.10.2023 registered with Panchavati Police Station for the offences punishable under Sections 302, 143, 144, 147, 148, 149, 323, 120B and 34 of Indian Penal Code, 1860 (for short "IPC") and Sections 3/25 and 4/25 of Indian Arms Act, 1959. 3. Applicant is incarcerated for the past more than 3 years in prison. He is a young offender, 18 years of age at the time of incident. The role attributed to the Applicant is that he was present at the incident spot when the assault in question took place. The complicity 1 of 4 15. BA-3515-26.odt of the Applicant is sought to be established on the basis of statements of three eyewitnesses out of the 11 eyewitnesses which have recorded and stated that the Applicant is alleged to have used a steel rod for assaulting the victim along with the other co-accused persons. 4. Incidentally, it is seen that the name of the Applicant does not figure in the FIR which has been lodged but his name has surfaced in the subsequent statements and the reference is to the unknown persons who are stated in the FIR. Charges have been framed on 30.08.2025 and no witness has been examined till date, thereby indicating no effective progress in trial. Applicant is a student of the Government Model Industrial Training Institute, Satpur in Nashik and his credentials are placed before the Court by learned Advocate appearing for the Applicant. Considering the fact that the Applicant is a young offender and this Court should give every semblance of a chance to a young offender to be out of jail notwithstanding the complicity of the Applicant which will be otherwise established at trial, the Applicant has made out a case for grant of bail. Hence, the Applicant is released on bail on the following conditions:- (i) Applicant is directed to be immediately released from prison in connection with FIR No. 492 of 2023; (ii) Applicant is directed to be released on bail on furnishing P.R. Bond of Rs. 15,000/- (Rs. Fifteen 2 of 4 15. BA-3515-26.odt Thousand only) with one or two sureties in the like amount; (iii) Applicant shall report to the Investigating Officer at Panchavati Police Station, Dist. Nashik once every month on the first Sunday of the month 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. 3 of 4 15. BA-3515-26.odt 5. Needless to state that the above observations will not come in the way of trial as they are prima facie in nature based on the submissions made and the material placed before this Court. 6. Bail Application is allowed and disposed of in the above terms. Amberkar [ MILIND N. JADHAV, J. ] 4 of 4 RAVINDRA MOHAN AMBERKAR Digitally signed by RAVINDRA MOHAN AMBERKAR Date: 2026.09.22 11:51:07 +0530