MCOCA court rejects bail plea of Wakad murder co-accused

Pune: A special MCOCA court rejected the bail plea of Kartik Chavan, a co-accused in the murder of history-sheeter Rehan Shaikh, observing that investigation material prima facie indicated his active involvement in the crime.Special Judge Kishor N Shinde held on Monday that though the applicant was not specifically named in the FIR, the investigation papers prima facie revealed his active involvement in the offence. The court observed that the role attributed to Kartik could not be viewed in isolation considering the prosecution’s case that the suspects had acted in furtherance of a common object.The case pertains to the May 1, 2024, murder near Park Street Society bridge on the busy Aundh-Ravet road in Rahatani, where a group of accused allegedly chased and attacked the victim, Shaikh, with sharp weapons in public view. Police had earlier stated that the deceased was a history-sheeter and that the murder stemmed from rivalry between rival groups.According to the prosecution, complainant Tejas Manohar Hanskar and his friends were travelling on a motorcycle when the suspects allegedly chased and intercepted them near the bridge. The prosecution alleged that Rutik Chavan stabbed Shaikh multiple times with a knife and co-accused Deepak Kokate assaulted him with a sickle, resulting in his death. One of the co-accused video-recorded the murder on a cellphone and the footage was allegedly shown in the presence of the applicant, Kartik, at the crime scene.Seeking bail, the defence argued that Kartik was not named in the FIR and no overt act of assault had been attributed to him. The defence contended that the only allegation against him was that he allegedly chased the deceased on a vehicle and was present at the spot. It also sought parity with three co-accused, who had secured bail.Opposing the plea, special public prosecutor C S Salvi submitted that investigation revealed the applicant rode a scooter allegedly used in chasing the deceased immediately before the murder.