Chandrakant Kedari Shelake v. the State of Maharashtra and Anr.
Case brief
What is this about?
Bail jurisprudence, post-BNS 2023: single-judge order of the Bombay High Court, Kolhapur Circuit Bench (Sachin S. Deshmukh, J., 06-04-2026) granting regular bail in C.R. 541/2025 (Juna Rajwada Police Station, Kolhapur) under Ss. 103(1), 326(g) and 238, Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, despite prosecution reliance on CCTV footage, alleged recovery of blood stained articles and a police-station confession. Key themes: absence of independent eye witnesses; absence of established motive or intent; circumstantial evidence failing to make a seamless chain; unreliability of confession at the bail stage; CCTV footage as an insufficient sole basis to deny liberty; P.R. bond of Rs. 50,000/- with standard protective conditions. No precedent cases were cited in this short order.
What did the court decide?
Applicant released on bail in connection with C.R. No. 541/2025 on furnishing a P.R. bond of Rs.50,000/- with one or two local solvent sureties in the like amount, subject to conditions: (a) not to pressurize prosecution witnesses or tamper with evidence; (b) to attend trial on each date unless exempted; (c) to submit Aadhar and Pan Cards, detailed address, phone numbers and two near relatives to the Investigating Officer; (d) breach permits the Prosecution to seek cancellation of bail.