Bail Application No. 4432 of 2024, High Court of Judicature at Bombay (Criminal Appellate Jurisdiction), decided 1 December 2025 by R.N. Laddha, J. — Nikhil Balasaheb Khedekar v. The State of Maharashtra (Loni Kalbhor Police Station, C.R. No. 381 of 2021). Applicant sought regular bail in the case of the fatal assault on hotelier Ramdas outside Hotel Garva on the Pune-Solapur highway on 18 July 2021 (offences under Ss. 302, 120B r/w 34 IPC; Ss. 4 r/w 25, Arms Act 1959; Ss. 37(1)(3), 135, 142, Maharashtra Police Act 1951; S. 7, Criminal Law Amendment Act; Ss. 3(1)(i), 3(2), 3(4), MCOCA 1999), pleading false implication, absence of overt act, no recovery, and prolonged trial; the State and the intervenor opposed, citing business rivalry between the applicant's Hotel Ashoka and the deceased's Hotel Garva, witness statements of sustained threats, a handwritten note detailing the conspiracy recovered at the instance of accused No.2 and authenticated by a handwriting expert, and CDRs. Held, dismissing bail: (i) at the bail stage the Court examines only prima facie involvement, and consistent witness statements (Laxman Dhondiba, Mahadev Rajwade, Aaba Lavande, Indubai Khedekar) disclose motive, association with co-accused, and instigation/design of the crime; (ii) the handwritten note, though not authored by the applicant, is material usable at this stage when corroborated; (iii) CDR evidence cannot be discarded; (iv) parity with bailed co-accused is unavailable because the material attributes motive and leadership of the conspiracy specifically to the applicant; (v) the gravity of the alleged contract killing and the unsatisfied twin satisfaction under S. 24 MCOCA weigh against bail; (vi) the apprehension of witness influence is well-founded given the applicant's local influence; (vii) the delay argument fails as the trial proceeds day-to-day under the trial Court's order dated 11 November 2025 with no deliberate prosecution delay shown. Bail application rejected; observations confined to the bail application; trial Court directed to proceed expeditiously.
