‘If bailed, Chintan may tamper with evidence’

Opposing the bail application of artist Chintan Upadhyay, who is accused of being part of the conspiracy to kill his estranged wife Hema and her lawyer Haresh Bambhani, the prosecution in its reply said he was one of the main accused and granting him bail would be detrimental to the investigation as he could allegedly tamper with evidence.

The prosecution submitted its reply in the Dindoshi sessions court. The deceased’s bodies were found by the police in cardboard cartons in a drain on December 12, 2015.

In its reply, the prosecution said that the police have gathered evidence that allegedly shows that Upadhyay had conspired and planned to kill Hema and Bambhani because the latter was representing her in the then ongoing divorce proceedings in a court. “A day before the crime came to light on December 10, Upadhyay had updated his status on Facebook to a song titled ‘Alvida’,” stated the reply. According to the cops, on December 12, the victims’ bodies were discovered in a Kandivali drain and their identity was established the same day. Two days later, i.e. on December 14, Upadhyay said he had reached Mumbai from Delhi — a claim that has been contested by the police. Upadhyay was arrested by the Kandivali police on December 22.

“The accused has been trying to establish that he was not in the city during the crime, but evidence shows that he conspired for the same and even met with one of the main accused, Vidyadhar Rajbhar, in Mumbai on December 14 last year,” stated the reply.

Advocate Raja Thakre, appearing for Chintan, said: “How can the uploading of a song be a ground to determine pre-meditation of a murder The police stated that Chintan had written ‘I will destroy you’ on a painting, but the police can’t find this painting.”