Accused in Shahid Azmi murder case gets bail

Two years after advocate Shahid Azmi was gunned down in his office, the Bombay high court has granted bail to one of the accused, Vinod Vichare, against a personal bond of Rs50,000.

Justice RC Chavan granted bail to Vichare, observing that he was not “shown to be present” on February 11, 2010, when Azmi was killed in his office at Kurla.

The police said Vichare’s role involved possession of one of the four revolvers which Bharat Nepali is alleged to have given for the murder of Azmi.  “The applicant was not shown to be present at the time of murder nor is he shown to have played any role on February 11, 2010,” said Justice Chavan.

Justice Chavan added that Vichare’s custody may not be necessary,since the investigation was complete, the charge sheet filed and Vichare was in jail for the last two years.

The court has directed Vichare to attend the office of the crime branch on the first Monday of every month till the trial is over.

Initially, the police had invoked the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), but it was dropped by the trial court observing that the case did not attract MCOCA.

The police said Azmi was gunned as he was representing some of the accused in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

The police had also arrested  Nepali’s four associates.