TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Seven months after the incident, two of 14 accused charged with allegedly murdering a Nigerian have been released on conditional bail following an order by the North District & Sessions Court, on Saturday.
Pravin alias Pagal Mandrekar (24) and Prayag Palekar (19) walked out of Mapusa judicial lock-up after furnishing bail bond of Rs 25,000 each with surety of like amount. The court has directed them not to tamper with the evidence and to remain present for the case trial as and when required.
The two are among 14 persons charge sheeted for allegedly fatally stabbing Obodo Uzoma Simeon at Parra on October 31, 2013. While 10 were arrested, four others — Runal Palyekar, Gaurish Govekar, Pranesh Diukar and Sitaram Gaonkar– gave the cops a slip.
During the bail hearing, counsel appearing for Mandrekar, advocate Galileo Teles submitted that his client has not been identified during the identification parade and the prosecution also failed to produce any report in the chargesheet filed before the Mapusa Judicial Magistrate first class on February 6.
He also pointed out police’s failure to show direct evidence against the accused to connect him with the crime, investigating of which was based only on circumstantial evidence. More so, Mandrekar submitted that he was not present when the crime occurred as he was at his relative’s party at Socorro.
The public prosecutor had vehemently opposed the bail applications arguing that the accused had absconded after committing the serious crime.
Mapusa police had filed a 250-page chargesheet under sections 143, 147, 148, 341, 326, 302 read with 149 IPC against the accused persons. The other eight accused presently in judicial custody are Suren Pol, Omkar Palyekar, Prajyot Dabolkar, Sarvesh Govekar, Sagar Naik, Ashish Gaonkar, Rohan Palyekar, and Gurudas Nagvekar.
