PONDA: Arguments were presented before the District Judge and Additional Sessions Judge in Ponda, regarding the Crime Branch’s application to cancel the bail of Adv Amit Palekar in the Banastarim accident case. The Crime Branch alleges that Palekar, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) State President, violated the conditions of his bail by traveling abroad without prior court permission. Palekar’s lawyer, Adv Nitin Sardesai, argued that there was no violation of the bail conditions.
The case stems from the horrific accident in Banastarim on August 6, 2023, involving a Mercedes, which killed three people and injured three others. Palekar was arrested for allegedly tampering with evidence by producing a ‘decoy’ driver to protect the actual driver, Paresh Sawardekar, who was reportedly intoxicated at the time. Palekar was granted conditional bail on August 31, 2023.
The Crime Branch contends that Palekar violated the bail terms by traveling to countries other than France, which he allegedly failed to mention when seeking court permission for his trip. According to the police, Palekar was granted permission to visit France, but later investigations revealed that he visited additional countries, thus breaching the bail conditions.
However, Adv Sardesai countered this argument, emphasising that the original bail condition only required Palekar to obtain court permission before traveling abroad and did not restrict him to visiting only France. He further pointed out that when Palekar applied for permission to travel, the prosecution did not object, and the court granted permission without specifying any restrictions on the countries he could visit. Sardesai argued that Palekar fully complied with the bail conditions, as he obtained the necessary court approval for his travel. Following the hearing, the judge reserved the order, which is expected to be pronounced on Monday.
