Abhishek Ghosalkar murder: Mumbai court grants bail to accused's bodyguard, cites doubtful complicity

Mauris Noronha and Abhishek Ghosalkar, on a Facebook Live event minutes before the shooting. File Photo

A Mumbai court has granted bail to Amarendra Singh, Mauris Noronha's bodyguard, whose weapon was allegedly used in the murder of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Abhishek Ghosalkar five months ago. Singh's involvement in the crime was deemed "highly doubtful" by the court.

VM Pathade, the Additional Sessions Court Judge, granted Singh, accused in Abhishek Ghosalkar murder, bail on June 26. The order, which was made public on Monday, indicated that the police had gathered no significant evidence to show Singh's involvement in the circumstances preceding Ghosalkar's death. Noronha committed suicide in February after being accused of murdering Ghosalkar during a Facebook live session in Mumbai's Borivali neighbourhood, reported PTI.

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According to the report, Singh requested bail for the second time after the Mumbai police issued a chargesheet. In his plea, Singh said that the chargesheet did not show that he was a part of any conspiracy that led to the crime. He was arrested and charged with murder under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code, as well as the relevant laws of the Arms Act and the Maharashtra Police Act.

"There is no acceptable material which would demonstrate the presence of the accused at or near the place of Abhishek Ghosalkar murder so as to infer his complicity in the incident which ultimately resulted in the death of Ghosalkar and Mauris," the judge said and added, "If Singh was a part of any criminal conspiracy to kill Ghosalkar, it would not have resulted in the death of Noronha, a Mumbai-based businessman and social worker."

The judge further highlighted that Singh's only link to the occurrence was that his handgun was used in the murder and subsequent suicide, reported PTI.

Singh has been in detention for more than four and a half months in connection with Abhishek Ghosalkar murder. The tribunal's judge said, "His complicity in the commission of an offence punishable under IPC section 302 (murder) is highly doubtful."

Noronha fatally shot Ghosalkar during a Facebook live session in February before killing himself. Noronha, who had faced multiple criminal accusations and spent nearly five months in jail for rape, allegedly had a quarrel with Ghosalkar. His wife informed the police that Noronha believed Ghosalkar had implicated him in the rape case, the report added.