The Additional Sessions Court, North Goa, has granted bail to Gangaram Mahale, the accused in Pernem Police Station Crime No. 66/2025 linked to the Uguvem–Terekhol river shootout, an incident in which two individuals were injured.
During the hearing, the defence counsel, Advocate Vinayak D. Porob, argued that Mahale’s arrest violated constitutional safeguards and that the prosecution relied merely on suspicion rather than strong prima facie evidence. He contended that CCTV footage, call detail records (CDRs), and the recovery panchanama did not conclusively establish the accused’s involvement, further alleging coercion behind the purported disclosure.
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The prosecution, represented by Public Prosecutor J. Santamaria, opposed the bail plea, citing the gravity of the offence and pointing to material such as CDRs, CCTV footage, and firearm recovery to support claims of a pre-planned conspiracy.
In its order, the Court observed that the grounds of arrest had been duly furnished and clarified that the Supreme Court’s Mihir Rajesh Shah ruling on written arrest grounds applied prospectively and did not invalidate the present arrest. Evaluating the evidence, the Court described it as “indicative” but not strong enough to justify continued detention. It also noted Mahale’s lack of criminal antecedents and the fact that substantial investigation had already been completed, adding that the mere possibility of future police custody was not sufficient to deny bail.
Mahale was released on a ₹50,000 bond, subject to stringent conditions including monthly reporting to the police, a bar on contacting victims, and restrictions on travel.
