High court releases woman, daughters in murder case

The Bombay high court on Wednesday granted bail to a woman and her two daughters who were arrested in a murder case.
Justice DG Karnik directed the Byculla prison authority to release Kamal Devidas Bhojane, 40, and her two daughters Chhaya, 20, and Nutan, 18, on a personal bond of Rs10,000 each with a surety of equal amount. The court also directed the applicants not to leave city without the police permission.

Police had arrested them in the murder case of Mangesh Bhojane, Kamal’s nephew. Kamal’s husband Devidas and other two nephews Vijay and Jitendra have also been behind bars in the case since November 2009.

“The applicants are two young girls and a housewife. There is no evidence against the applicants except that they have been part of a conspiracy,” observed justice Karnik.

According to the prosecution, Mangesh was murdered by one Ritesh Pawar on October 26, 2009, and Pawar had himself confessed to the crime. It was later alleged that Mangesh was killed at behest of Bhojane family, which had a dispute with Mangesh’s father and the deceased over a flat in Vikhroli.

Police had arrested the mother and daughters in November 2009, and they were later remanded in judicial custody.