The court clarified that its observations were confined to the bail application and would not influence the trial court while deciding the case on merits
The court also noted that the prosecution had cited 93 witnesses and that the trial was unlikely to conclude in the foreseeable future. Considering that Puja had been in custody for 22 months and had two children aged 11 and seven, the court found it appropriate to grant her bail. Puja was directed to execute a personal recognisance bond of Rs 1 lakh with one or two sureties of a similar amount. She must mark her attendance at Vashi Railway Police Station on the first day of every third month between 11 am and 2 pm until the conclusion of the trial.
Mumbai: Bombay High Court granted bail to a woman accused of conspiring with her lover and two others to murder her husband and throw his body in front of a moving train near Rabale and Ghansoli railway stations in Navi Mumbai. However, the court observed that, apart from the CDRs between Puja and Prakash, there was no other evidence indicating that she had facilitated her husband’s meeting with the co-accused or participated in discussions about the alleged conspiracy. It held that the call records alone were insufficient to prima facie conclude that she had conspired with the other accused to commit the murder. She must also attend court proceedings unless exempted, refrain from tampering with evidence or influencing witnesses, and provide her contact number and residential address to the investigating officer.
The court clarified that its observations were confined to the bail application and would not influence the trial court while deciding the case on merits.