Anticipatory bail for accused in Kate case

Mumbai: A sessions court on Friday granted anticipatory bail to two persons; Kuldeep Adhe, liaisoning and admin manager, and Omprakash Choudhary, project in-charge, looking after site work at Trombay where the car shed for the metro is under construction. The accused were seeking pre-arrest bail in connection with the case of assault on Shiv Sena MLA Tukaram Kate on October 12. According to the applicants, the case of attempt to murder was not made out and a false complaint was lodged for political gain.

Advocate Chitra Salunke contended before the court that none of the persons suffered injuries in the alleged attack while a case of attempt to murder could be made out if somebody was grievously injured. She also argued that the police were claiming that somebody attacked Sena MLA Kate but some other person had lodged the FIR.

According to the applicants, both of them were not present at the spot at the time of the incident and their names were mentioned in the FIR with some ulterior motive and to gain political mileage.

After hearing the arguments, sessions judge K.R. Joglekar granted both the persons pre-arrest bail on a personal bond of `25,000 each and two sureties of like amount.

The prosecution case is that on October 12, when Kate was attending a function at Maharashtra Nagar in Mankhurd, around eight persons tried to attack him with a chopper, sword and hockey sticks. One of the accused tried to attack Kate with a sword, but his bodyguard saved him. The security personnel escorting Kate then pulled out his service pistol, following which the attackers fled.

On October 8, Kate had staged a morcha with around 600 persons at RCC’s site, demanding employment for locals in the project and their rehabilitation. Advocate Salunke contended that a substantial number of them have been given jobs.