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MCOCA Court Denies Bail to Accused in Baba Siddique Murder
Aakash Sriwastav is accused of helping people involved in the murder of Baba Siddique.
Siddique was shot outside his son’s office in Mumbai in October 2024.
Police arrested Sriwastav near the Nepal border with other suspects.
Prosecutors say he joined conspiracy meetings and gave shelter to one accused person.
Sriwastav’s lawyers say he is innocent and did not receive money.
They also questioned how he was arrested and said some statements had been withdrawn.
The court said those statements could still be considered with other evidence at the bail stage.
The judge therefore refused to release Sriwastav on bail.
A special MCOCA court rejected 27-year-old Aakash Sriwastav’s bail application.
Sriwastav was arrested near Bahraich while allegedly trying to cross into Nepal with principal accused Shivkumar Gautam and others.
Prosecutors alleged that Sriwastav attended conspiracy meetings, assisted the syndicate and sheltered Gautam after the shooting.
The defence denied any connection between Sriwastav and the principal accused and challenged his arrest and the use of retracted confessions.
The court said witness statements, call records and the circumstances of his arrest provided prima facie links to the alleged organised crime syndicate.
- Who
- Aakash Sriwastav, the accused; Baba Siddique, the murdered former Maharashtra minister; and other alleged members of an organised crime syndicate.
- What
- A special MCOCA court rejected Sriwastav’s bail application in the Baba Siddique murder case.
- Where
- The shooting occurred outside Zeeshan Siddique’s office in Mumbai’s Bandra East area; Sriwastav was arrested in Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh, near the Nepal border.
- When
- Siddique was killed on October 12, 2024; Sriwastav was arrested on November 10, 2024; the bail ruling was reported on September 21, with the year not specified.
- Why
- The court found prima facie material linking Sriwastav to the principal accused and the alleged organised crime syndicate, and said he did not meet MCOCA’s strict bail requirements.
Prosecution and Court
Defence
Sriwastav’s alleged role
Prosecution and Court
The prosecution alleged that Sriwastav attended conspiracy meetings, helped the organised crime syndicate and provided shelter to principal accused Shivkumar Gautam after the shooting.
Defence
The defence argued that Sriwastav was innocent, had no connection with the principal accused and received no financial benefit.
Confessional statements
Prosecution and Court
The prosecution relied on confessional statements recorded under Section 18 of MCOCA, and the court said retracted confessions could not be completely excluded at the bail stage when considered with corroborating evidence.
Defence
The defence challenged the use of the statements, noting that confessions by co-accused had been retracted.
Arrest and bail standard
Prosecution and Court
The court cited witness statements, call records and Sriwastav’s arrest near the international border as prima facie supporting material, concluding that he failed to meet Section 21(4) of MCOCA’s stringent bail requirements.
Defence
The defence challenged the legality of Sriwastav’s arrest and sought bail.
Key facts
- Accused denied bail
- Aakash Sriwastav, 27, was denied bail by Special MCOCA Judge Mahesh Jadhav.
- Victim
- Former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique, 66, was shot dead on October 12, 2024.
- Arrest
- Sriwastav was apprehended in Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh, on November 10, 2024.
- Prosecution allegations
- Prosecutors said Sriwastav attended conspiracy meetings, assisted the syndicate and sheltered Shivkumar Gautam.
- Evidence cited
- The court referred to confessional statements, witness statements, call detail records and the circumstances of the arrest.
- Case status
- Twenty-six arrested people have been chargesheeted, and all accused are in judicial custody facing trial under MCOCA.
- Wanted accused
- Anmol Bishnoi and two others are wanted in connection with the case.
Quotes
Special MCOCA court
The court presided over by special MCOCA judge Mahesh Jadhav
“The material on record, prima facie, connects him with the principal accused and the persons alleged to be members of the organised crime syndicate”
theprint.in
Sources
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