Court rejects Pintoo's bail plea, says, 'evidence may be tampered with'

The 43-year-old stock trader Pintoo Sharma had killed a Mira Road resident, Ganesh Koladkar, chopped his body into pieces and flushed them down the drain

Rejecting the bail application of 43-year-old stock trader, Pintoo Sharma, who was jailed early last year for killing Mira Road resident Ganesh Koladkar and chopping his body into pieces, additional sessions judge 1­ of Vasai sessions court, A U Kadam, said that if the accused was released at this stage, then the possibility of tampering with prosecution evidence could not be ruled out. Assistant public prosecutor, K M Khandagale took strong objection to Sharma's application and said that the prosecution case was based on strong circumstantial evidence. In the bail application, defence counsel, Siddhesh Naik, had told court, 'There is no direct evidence against Sharma. The investigating agency has not shown that the pieces of flesh found from the spot were of the deceased."

Naik told the court that the accused had not taken the said flat in Virar on rent. "It was in possession of the deceased (Koladkar). He (Sharma) used to go there to meet him. He has been unnecessarily roped in the case with false allegations," he added.

However, Khandagale said, "Electronic evidence have been brought on record. The investigating agency has collected tissues from the bathroom and sent it for chemical analysis."

"The accused had purchased a 21-litre bucket, which was seized from the flat. A finger of the deceased was recovered from the drain where the other flesh pieces were found. The deceased's sister had identified a ring on the finger. Prima facie, the death of the deceased has been established," added Khandagale.

Additional Sessions Judge­, Kadam said, "The possibility to falsely implicate the accused is too remote. There is absolute no scope at this stage to show that the accused has been mischievously roped in the case."

"At this stage, strong prima facie material showing the complicity of the present applicant/accused is established by the prosecution. The occurrence appears to be a pre­planned act," added Kadam.

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