SURAT, April 20: Chief judicial magistrate at the District and Sessions Court today granted conditional bail to Chandrakant Kahar and Naresh Patel alias Naresh Naphtha after police failed to file chargesheet within the mandatory 90 days in the Nita Satbhaya murder case.Kallu Dagga, the third accused, is in judicial custody. His earlier bail plea was rejected and he did not move a fresh application, along with the duo.
Kahar and Naphtha were released on a personal bond of Rs 50,000 each around noon by V R Vyas.
The five conditions for the duo are: both should present themselves before investigating Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) officials on 15th and 29th of every month; should not tamper with witnesses or evidence; should co-operate with investigating officials; should inform the DCB of a change of residential address or living place in advance and a solvency certificate should be produced before the court at the earliest.
Kahar's advocate Manisha Kahar and Naresh's Vilasben Bhatporewala had filed bail applications immediately after 90 days but Vyas had rejected the pleas, ordering a hearing today.
DCB officials were non-committal over the chargesheet. They had maintained that it could not be filed within the stipulated period as case papers sent to a government counsel had not been returned. Top police officials had also categorically said a few more arrests were to be made though they did not name suspects.
Sympathisers of Naresh and Kahar had taken out a protest rally and clashed with police when the two were arrested in the second week of January.
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.