Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar : Supreme Court of India has granted bail to gangster Shaikh Imran Mehandi, alias Dilawar, in the 2012 murder of former corporator Salim Qureshi, suspending his life sentence during the pendency of his appeal. However, Mehandi will continue to remain behind bars as he faces proceedings in four other murder cases, including a conviction in one and trials pending in three.
Apex court’s division bench comprising Justices M M Sundresh and Prasanna Varale on Sept 15 passed the order after noting that Mehandi had undergone 12 years of incarceration without remission and 18 years including the period of remission. In the murder of Nilesh Mhatre, the FIR was registered at Kranti Chowk police station on March 20, 2012. The Shaikh Naser murder case was registered at Begumpura police station on March 17, 2012. The Sindubai Mhatre and Sirajuddin murder cases were also registered within a span of two weeks in 2012.
He was represented by advocates Rupesh Jaiswal, Akanksha Koli and advocate-on-record Gayathri. Mehandi and his associates were convicted by the special MCOCA court for murder but acquitted of the MCOCA charges.
The case is pending trial before the sessions court. Their appeal is pending before the high court. Both cases are currently pending trial before the special MCOCA court.
The Salim Qureshi murder case was registered on March 10, 2012.
The apex court observed, “Taking into consideration the facts and circumstances of the present appeal, coupled with the fact that the appellant has already undergone a period of 12 years under incarceration without remission and 18 years including the period of remission, we are inclined to suspend the sentence imposed on the appellant, during the pendency of the present appeal.” Mehandi and his gang members were convicted by the special MCOCA court for murder, kidnapping and destruction of evidence, among other offences, and sentenced to life imprisonment. During the appeal proceedings, the Aurangabad bench of Bombay high court set aside the MCOCA conviction, but upheld their conviction under the Indian Penal Code for murder, kidnapping and destruction of evidence. The appeal against the high court order is currently pending before Supreme Court.