Muskan Shankar Khandekar vs State of Maharashtra — Anticipatory Bail | Bombay HC (2026)

Muskan Shankar Khandekar vs State of Maharashtra — Anticipatory Bail | Bombay HC (2026)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Anticipatory bail granted: in the event of arrest, the Applicant to be released on executing a P.R. bond of Rs.25,000/- with one or two sureties in the like amount, subject to conditions — attending Khadaki Police Station as and when called and cooperating with the investigation; furnishing and updating her cell phone number and residential address with the Investigating Officer; making no inducement, threat or promise to dissuade any person from disclosing facts; not leaving India without prior permission of the Court; and neither tampering with prosecution evidence nor contacting or influencing the Complainant or any witness.

Issue for consideration

Whether anticipatory (pre-arrest) bail should be granted to the Applicant, Muskan Shankar Khandekar, in connection with C.R. No.205 of 2025 registered with Khadaki Police Station, Pune City, Pune.

Court's answer

Perusal of the record showed that there are cross FIRs, that the charge sheet is already filed, and that the Applicant is a lady.

Ratio / Principle

In the facts and circumstances — cross FIRs existing, charge sheet filed, and the Applicant being a lady — a case was made out for grant of Anticipatory Bail, and the application was allowed and disposed of accordingly.

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

High Court of Judicature at Bombay, Criminal Appellate Jurisdiction (Madhav J. Jamdar, J.), 20 February 2026 — Anticipatory Bail Application No.358 of 2026 ALLOWED. Muskan Shankar Khandekar applied under Section 482, BNSS 2023 for pre-arrest bail in C.R. No.205 of 2025, Khadaki Police Station, Pune City, alleging offences under Sections 109, 126(2), 115(2), 352, 351(1) and 3(5), BNS 2023 (the order dated 7 November 2025 of the Additional Sessions Judge, Pune in Criminal Bail Application No.4692 of 2025 recites the FIR sections as 109, 126(2), 372, 371(1) and 3(7), BNS). Prosecution case: dispute over drainage water with a neighbouring laundry-shop owner; threat and complaint of 07/07/2025; assault of 08/07/2025 in which accused No.2 hit the informant with a brick and accused No.1 struck him with an iron rod; the informant's wife Rajkumari, brother Rakesh and sister-in-law Pramila were also hit while helping, and the party fled to the police station. Applicant's counsel submitted she was not involved, that a cross FIR existed (C.R.No.206 of 2025, Sections 115(2), 118(1), 3(5) BNS), that the charge sheet stood filed and injuries were simple; the APP opposed. Finding cross FIRs, a filed charge sheet and a lady applicant, the Court held a case for anticipatory bail was made out: release on P.R. bond of Rs.25,000/- with one or two like sureties, with conditions as to attendance when called, contact particulars, non-inducement, no departure from India without leave, and no tampering with or influencing of evidence/witnesses.

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IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION

ANTICIPATORY BAIL APPLICATION NO.358 OF 2026

Muskan Shankar Khandekar … Applicant V/s. State Of Maharashtra … Respondents

Mr. Ravi Jadhav (Through V.C.) a/w Mr. Vignesh Ashokan, Advocate for the Applicant.

Ms. G. P. Mulekar, APP for the State.

CORAM : MADHAV J. JAMDAR, J. DATED : 20^th FEBRUARY 2026

P.C.:

Heard Mr. Jadhav, learned Counsel appearing for the Applicant and Ms. Mulekar, learned APP appearing for the State.

By this application filed under Section 482 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (“BNSS”), the Applicant is seeking prearrest bail in connection with C.R. No.205 of 2025 registered with Khadaki Police Station, Pune City, Pune for the offences punishable under Sections 109, 126(2), 115(2), 352, 351(1) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (“BNS”).

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The prosecution case is set out in Paragraph No.2 of order dated 7^th November 2025 passed by the learned Additional Sessions Judge, Pune in Criminal Bail Application No.4692 of 2025, which read as

under:-

“2] In short facts leading to the registration of crime No.205 of 2025 for offences under Section 109, 126(2), 372, 371(1), 3(7) of BNS at Khadki Police station are that the injured and the accused No 1, 3 and 4 are neighbors. The informant injured runs a laundry shop and on account of drainage water there is dispute between him and accused No.1. On 07/07/2025 the accused No.1 threatened to kill him therefore he had lodged complaint at Khadki Police Station on which police called him and gave understanding. The accused was angry due to it and on 08/07/2025 at about 7:30 a.m. informant/injured was going out for work, accused Nos.1 and 2 abused him charged at him, accused No.2 hit him by brick which caused injury on his left upper arm. At the same time the accused No.1 picked up an iron rod kept out of his house and hit on his bead. He also raised the rod for second assault which he prevented by hand, when altercation between them was going on the accused No.3 i.e. father of accused No.1 and accused No.4 who is wife of the accused No.1 came on the spot. The accused No.4 caught him by both her hands and then the remaining three accused assaulted him by kicks and fist blows. Because of the injury on his head caused by the rod he felt giddiness, bleeding was there, when he screamed for help his wife Rajkumari, brother Rakesh and brother’s wife Pramila came to his help but the accused No.1 hit them also by rod which resulted in a bleeding injury on the left hand of his wife. At That time accused Nos.1 and 4 prevented his brother’s wife by catching them and assaulting them by kicks and fist blow. Some how they rescued themselves from the clutches of the accused and started running towards police station but the accused No.1 and 3 accused No.1 holding a rod in his hand were following them but they reached at police station and lodged the complaint

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which resulted in registration of crime under above sections.”

It is the submission of Mr. Jadhav, learned counsel appearing for the Applicant that the Applicant is not involved in the crime. He further submits that there is a cross FIR being CR.No.206 of 2025 registered with Khadaki Police Station, Pune City, Pune for the offences punishable under Sections 115(2), 118(1) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (“BNS”). He submits that the charge sheet is already filed and injuries are simple in nature.

On the other hand, Ms Mulekar, learned APP strongly opposes the Application. She submits that the Applicant is involved in the crime and the crime is very serious.

Perusal of the record shows that there are cross FIR. Charge sheet is already filed. The Applicant is a lady.

Accordingly, in the facts and circumstances, case is made out for grant of Anticipatory Bail. In view thereof following order is passed.

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O R D E R

(i) In the event of arrest, the Applicant - Muskan Shankar Khandekar in connction with C.R. No.205 of 2025 registered with Khadaki Police Station, Pune City, Pune she be released on bail on executing P.R. bond of Rs.25,000/and furnishing one or two sureties in the like amount.

(ii) The Applicant shall attend the Khadaki Police Station, Pune City, Pune as and when called by the Police and shall co-operate with the investigation.

(iii) The Applicant shall furnish his cell phone number and residential address to the Investigating Officer and shall keep the same updated, in case of any change thereto.

(iv) The Applicant shall not directly or indirectly make any inducement, threat, or promise to any person acquainted with the facts of the case so as to dissuade such a person from disclosing the facts to the Court or to any Police personnel.

(v) The Applicant shall not leave India without prior permission of the Court.

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(vi) The Applicant shall not tamper with the prosecution evidence and shall not contact or influence the Complainant, or any witness, in any manner.

The Anticipatory Bail Application is allowed and disposed of accordingly.

( MADHAV J. JAMDAR, J.)

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