Ganesh Laxman Narle vs the State of Maharashtra… — Murder and Culpable Homicide | Bombay HC (2026)

Ganesh Laxman Narle vs the State of Maharashtra… — Murder and Culpable Homicide | Bombay HC (2026)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Regular bail granted: applicant Ganesh Laxman Narle to be released on furnishing P.R. bond of Rs. 50,000/- with one or two local solvent sureties in the like amount in connection with C.R. No. 390/2023 (Mhaswad Police Station, District Satara), subject to conditions: (a) not to pressurize prosecution witnesses or tamper with prosecution evidence; (b) attend trial on each and every date unless exempted by the trial Court; (c) submit Aadhar and Pan Cards to the Investigating Officer with detailed address, phone numbers and details of two near relatives; (d) on breach of any condition, Prosecution may move the concerned Court for cancellation of bail. Observations rendered are confined to this application and the trial Court shall not be influenced by them.

Issue for consideration

Whether the applicant is entitled to regular bail where the prosecution case is based on circumstantial evidence and his arrest rests only on suspicion, without incriminating material establishing complicity. +1 more

Court's answer

On consideration of submissions and perusal of the charge-sheet and material on record, the prosecution case being premised on circumstantial evidence, the Court found prima facie a lack of seamless chain indicating the applicant's complicity in the alleged incident.

Ratio / Principle

With arrest effected in December 2023 and no progress in trial, and having regard to the number of witnesses the prosecution proposes to examine such that the trial is unlikely to conclude within a reasonable period, further incarceration would amount to pretrial incarceration defeating the applicant's right of speedy trial.

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Bombay High Court (Kolhapur Circuit Bench), Coram Sachin S. Deshmukh, J., 17 April 2026 — Criminal Bail Appln. No. 235 of 2026 allowed. Regular bail granted to applicant Ganesh Laxman Narle in C.R. No. 390/2023 (Mhaswad Police Station, District Satara) for offences punishable under Section 302 IPC. The Court held, first, that since the prosecution case is premised on circumstantial evidence, prima facie there is a lack of seamless chain indicating the applicant's complicity; and, secondly, that with the arrest effected in December 2023, no progress in trial, and the trial unlikely to conclude within a reasonable period given the number of witnesses proposed, further incarceration would amount to pretrial incarceration defeating the applicant's right of speedy trial. Bail ordered on a P.R. bond of Rs. 50,000/- with one or two local solvent sureties in the like amount, subject to conditions regarding non-tampering with witnesses/evidence, attendance on every trial date, submission of Aadhar/Pan and contact details to the Investigating Officer, and liberty to the Prosecution to seek cancellation on breach. The Court's observations are expressly confined to the bail application and are not to influence the trial Court.

13-BA-235-2026 (CR).doc

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY CIRCUIT BENCH AT KOLHAPUR CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION CRIMINAL BAIL APPLN. NO. 235 OF 2026

Ganesh Laxman Narle

VERSUS

The State Of Maharashtra And Anr

Mr. Rahul Dhaygude a/w Ms. Vaishnavi Mali and Ms. Sujata Lohar Advocate for Applicant

Mr. P. P. Deokar, APP for the Respondent-State

CORAM : SACHIN S. DESHMUKH, J. DATE : 17^th APRIL, 2026.

P. C. :

By this application, applicant is seeking regular bail in C.R.

No. 390/2023 registered with Mhaswad Police Station, District Satara for offences punishable under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code.

IRESH MASHAL

Digitally signed by IRESH MASHAL Date: 2026.04.20 10:37:26 +0530

Learned counsel for the applicant submits that case is based on circumstantial evidence and in absence of any incriminating material, arrest of the applicant is effected only on the basis of suspicion. In any case, there is no progress in trial which entitles the applicant to be admitted to the bail.

Per contra, learned APP opposed the application submitting that the applicant is involved in a serious offence. There is sufficient material to indicate and establish the complicity of the present

1 of 3

Iresh

13-BA-235-2026 (CR).doc

applicant. Even the stolen articles are recovered at the instance of the present applicant. As such, prayed for rejection of the application.

Upon considering the submissions of learned counsel for the applicant, learned APP and perusal of material on record including the charge-sheet, since the prosecution case is premised on circumstantial evidence, prima facie there appears to be lack of seamless chain so as to indicate the complicity of the present applicant in the alleged incident.

Apart from the aforesaid aspect, since the arrest of the applicant is affected in December 2023 and there is no progress in trial, further incarceration of the applicant would amount to pretrial incarceration which defeats the right of the applicant of speedy trial. Having regard to the number of witnesses which the prosecution proposes to examine, the trial is unlikely to conclude within a reasonable period

In that view of the matter, I am persuaded to exercise the discretion in favour of the applicant.

Hence, following order:

O R D E R

2 of 3

Iresh

13-BA-235-2026 (CR).doc

I. The bail application is allowed.

II. Applicant, Ganesh Laxman Narle be released on bail, on furnishing P.R. bond in the sum of Rs.50,000/- (Rs.Fifty Thousand) with one or two local solvent sureties, in the like amount, in connection with C.R. No. 390/2023 registered with Mhaswad Police Station, District Satara for offences punishable under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code, on the following conditions :-

(a) The applicant shall not pressurize the prosecution witnesses and tamper with the prosecution evidence, in any manner.

(b) The applicant shall attend the trial on each and every date unless exempted by the trial Court.

(c) The applicant shall submit Aadhar and Pan Cards to the Investigating Officer and detailed address and phone numbers and two of the near relatives.

(d) In case of breach of any of the conditions by the applicant, it is open for the Prosecution to move the concerned Court seeking cancellation of bail, notwithstanding the fact that this Court has granted bail to the Applicant.

Needless to state that the observations rendered herein are to

the extent of this application and the trial Court shall not be influenced by the same.

[SACHIN S. DESHMUKH, J.]

3 of 3

Iresh