RAJENDRA PRASAD Vs. STATE OF GOA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The High Court of Judicature at Bombay at Goa [High Court], by the impugned order dtd. 8/4/2026 [Criminal Application (Bail) No. 988 of 2025 (F)], has rejected the petitioner's second application for bail.

(2.) In connection with investigation of FIR No. 90 of 2023 dtd. 28/8/2023, registered at Old Goa Police Station, District North Goa under Ss. 302 and 201 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 [IPC] against unknown accused person(s), the petitioner was identified as an accused and arrested on 29/8/2023. Upon completion of investigation, he was arraigned as Accused No. 1 in the chargesheet which came to be filed on 23/11/2023. In due course, the case was committed to the Sessions Court for trial. Petitioner is presently facing trial in Sessions Case (302) No. 11 of 2023, for offences under Ss. 342, 302, and 201 read with Sec. 120-B, IPC, before the District and Sessions Court, Merces, Tiswadi, North Goa.

(3.) According to the prosecution, owing to a pre-existing family/property dispute at their native village in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, the petitioner, along with the co-accused persons, allegedly hatched a conspiracy to eliminate the victim, Chandrika @ Gabbar Sahani. It is the case of the prosecution that on 23/8/2023, the petitioner deceitfully lured the victim to his rented residence in Porvorim, Goa, under the pretext of providing painting work. Thereafter, the petitioner and Ranajit Prasad [Accused No. 2] wrongfully confined the victim in a room and brutally assaulted him with a wooden stick (danda). Subsequently, joined by Akhilesh Kumar Sahani [Accused No. 3] and Rajkumar Prasad [Accused No. 4], the accused persons tied the unconscious victim to a heavy stone using an orangecoloured nylon rope and iron hooks, transported the body in a Maruti Swift car, and disposed it of in the Gaundalim river.