HC denies bail to lawyer named in Hidayat Patel’s dying declaration
Hidayat Patel was stabbed in Akot city in Akola district on Jan 6, 2026, and succumbed to his injuries on Jan 7 while undergoing treatment. Police arrested prime accused Ubed Patel (25) after he was allegedly captured on CCTV carrying out the attack.
“There is no call between the prime accused and the petitioner either before or after the incident,” it observed, while noting that there were calls between Kha and other accused, though those communications had taken place much earlier. Nagpur: The Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court recently refused anticipatory bail to a lawyer whom former Maharashtra Pradesh Congress vice-president Hidayat Patel allegedly named in his dying declaration. The court observed that Hidayat’s statement to three witnesses prima facie indicated involvement of the petitioner in the murder conspiracy. Hidayat was also the district president of Akola and had twice contested the Akola Lok Sabha seat. The court noted the absence of such calls.
“The name of the petitioner appears as the dying declaration was made to these witnesses by the deceased,” the court said. Justice Nerlikar found the alleged dying declaration important at the anticipatory-bail stage. He further noted that the three witnesses had given identical accounts of what Hidayat allegedly disclosed while being taken to hospital. One of the accused had approached Supreme Court but subsequently withdrew the plea. Holding that the alleged conspiracy required further investigation and custodial interrogation, High Court rejected Kha’s plea. The court’s observations were prima facie and confined to consideration of anticipatory bail.
The court also referred to its earlier rejection of anticipatory bail applications filed by co-accused, whose names were allegedly disclosed by Hidayat.