Bombay High Court grants bail to man accused of murdering live-in partner, chopping body

The Bombay High Court on July 27 granted bail to a man accused of murdering his live-in partner and chopping the body [Hanumant Ashok Shinde v. State of Maharashtra].Single-judge Justice Amit Borkar observed that the police had failed to collect DNA sample from the heir of the missing live-in partner to prove that the body parts belonged to the victim. “Considering the totally decomposed body of the deceased, the identification of that needs to be decided during trial. However, prima facie, the material on record against the applicant is not sufficient at this stage to warrant his further detention” the judge recorded in his 5-page order. .The Pune police received a missing person’s complaint in August 2021. The complaint stated that one Rosina Pansare aka Kavita Chaudhari had been missing since August 8, 2021.An investigation was carried out where they interrogated her live-in partner Hanumant Shinde. He claimed there were frequent clashes between them on the issue of marriage.Shinde was arrested on August 24, 2021, and accused of killing his partner, chopping her body parts putting them in sacks and then disposing of them in different locations.The Pune police charged him with offences under Sections 201 (Causing disappearance of evidence), 302 (Murder), 392 (Robbery), 397 (Robbery with the intention to hurt or cause death) and 44 (Injury) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) along with provisions of the Maharashtra Police Act and the Arms Act..In 2022, he filed for bail before the sessions court in Pune. This was rejected on April 29, 2023, on the ground that the offence was heinous. It was also observed that prima facie, as per the accused’s statements, the body parts were found in locations shown by him.Shinde challenged this before the High Court.Advocate Sana Raees Khan, appearing for the accused, submitted that there was no DNA report to prove that the body parts found belonged to Shinde’s missing partner. She also argued that the panchnama was inadmissible. .The High Court concluded that the admissibility of panchnama was a matter of trial. But it said that police had failed to collect DNA samples from the heir of the missing live-in partner.Further, considering the fact that the trial will not be completed in the near future, the Court proceeded to grant bail to the accused. “The applicant (Shinde) was arrested on August 24, 2021. The charges are yet to be framed. It is unlikely that the trial will be over in the near future. On an overall consideration of facts, the applicant has made out a case for release on bail” the judge noted. .Shinde was directed to be released upon furnishing a bail bond of ₹25,000 with sureties. [Read Order]