Bombay High Court granted bail to Akashdeep Singh, an accused in the murder of former minister Baba Siddique, observing that prosecution material did not prima facie link him to the alleged organised crime conspiracy under MCOCA.
The Bombay High Court on Monday granted bail to Akashdeep Karaj Singh, one of the accused in the murder of former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique, observing that the prosecution material at this stage did not prima facie link him to the alleged organised crime conspiracy.
Court finds prosecution case weak at bail stage
“The entire case of the prosecution… hinges on the two calls made by him,” Justice Neela Gokhale noted, adding that “merely putting through a call… prima facie does not connect the Applicant (Singh) with the organised crime syndicate.” The judge emphasised that any such connection would have to be established during trial.
Singh, 22, becomes the first accused to secure bail in the high-profile case. Siddique, 66, was shot dead on October 12, 2024, by three assailants outside the Bandra (East) office of his son, former MLA Zeeshan Siddique.
Background of the case
The police have arrested 26 persons and invoked the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), alleging a conspiracy orchestrated by Anmol Bishnoi, brother of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. A chargesheet filed earlier this year names Anmol as a wanted accused.
Singh, a resident of Punjab’s Fazilka district, was arrested in November 2024. His earlier bail plea was rejected by a sessions court. Opposing his release, the prosecution argued that Singh was an active member of an organised crime syndicate.
Court rejects key allegations
However, the court found that the prosecution primarily relied on allegations that Singh used another person’s phone hotspot to make two calls to a co-accused. The court said there was no material at this stage to show that Singh knew of, or participated in, organised criminal activity.
Addressing claims of international calls allegedly linked to syndicate supporters, the court observed that “a bare allegation unsupported by any material… does not indicate his complicity in the offence.”
The judge also noted that Singh’s name did not figure in the confessional statements of key co-accused, remarking: “The Applicant’s name is eloquently absent.”
Stringent bail conditions imposed
While acknowledging the seriousness of the alleged offences and the invocation of MCOCA, the court held that it could not conclude that the accusations against Singh were prima facie true. It also considered his young age and absence of criminal antecedents in finding that he was unlikely to commit offences if released.
