Sawan Jagdish Patel v. Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Anr.
Case brief
What is this about?
Suspension of sentence and bail during pendency of criminal appeal; circumstantial evidence — incomplete chain of circumstances; presence of accused with deceased doubtful per PW-2 phone-call testimony; blood-stain freshness/hemolysis point — PW-14 Scientific Officer FSL Gujarat; murder and burning of car of deceased Principal; alleged defalcation of Rs. 2 lacs as motive; Sessions Case No. 10 of 2022, Sessions Judge, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Silvassa; Criminal Appeal No. 1174 of 2025; PR bond Rs. 50,000/- with local sureties; conditions including monthly attendance at Silvassa Police Station and liberty for cancellation on two consecutive defaults; Bombay High Court, Gadkari & Khata JJ., 7 April 2026.
What did the court decide?
Both interim applications allowed: during the pendency of the Appeal, the substantive sentence imposed on the Applicant by Judgment and Order dated 1st October, 2025 in Sessions Case No. 10 of 2022 is suspended and the Applicant is to be released on bail on furnishing a PR bond of Rs. 50,000/- with one or two local sureties in the like amount, subject to conditions: (i) before release, disclosure of prospective residential address and a contactable mobile/landline number; (ii) after release, attendance at Silvassa Police Station, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, on every first Monday of each month between 10.00 a.m. and 12.00 noon for one year, and thereafter on the first Monday of every third calendar month (four times a year) till disposal of the Appeal; (iii) in case of two consecutive defaults, liberty to the prosecution to file an Application for cancellation of bail.