Pune techie lynching: Prime accused gets bail

  • | Thursday | 17th January, 2019

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court on Thursday granted bail to Hindu Rashtra Sena chief Dhananjay Desai , one of the prime accused in the 2014 lynching of techie Mohsin Shaikh by a riotous mob in Pune. Desai was booked for the murder conspiracy as he had allegedly delivered an inflammatory speech, which police claimed led to the rioting. The mob was reportedly protesting objectionable posts on social media against Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Shiv Sena chief late Bal Thackeray. Justice Sadhna Jadhav ordered Desai's release on a bail of Rs 50,000. Police had traced the rioters after they ran away leaving behind their motorbikes, which had HRS stickers on them.

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court on Thursday granted bail to Hindu Rashtra Sena chief Dhananjay Desai , one of the prime accused in the 2014 lynching of techie Mohsin Shaikh by a riotous mob in Pune. Justice Sadhna Jadhav ordered Desai's release on a bail of Rs 50,000. The court has restricted him from undertaking any political or social activities in connection with his organisation or delivering any speeches till the conclusion of the trial.Advocate Abhijit Desai , counsel for the accused, had argued that the other co accused in the case had been released on bail and sought parity.Shaikh was beaten to death on the night of June 2, 2014, by a mob of 30 to 40 people, alleged to be HRS members in Hadapsar, Pune, when he was on his way home after offering the evening namaz. Police had traced the rioters after they ran away leaving behind their motorbikes, which had HRS stickers on them. The mob was reportedly protesting objectionable posts on social media against Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Shiv Sena chief late Bal Thackeray. Desai was booked for the murder conspiracy as he had allegedly delivered an inflammatory speech, which police claimed led to the rioting. The prosecution had claimed that the mob was shouting slogans like "Dhananjay bhai zindabad", "Hindu Rashtra Sena zindabad" and "kill Muslims".In 2017, the high court had stayed the trial while admitting Desai's petition challenging a trial court order refusing to drop charges against him. Desai’s lawyers had claimed that he was not present with the mob and the police was using a speech he delivered in January 2014 as evidence against him.

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