Of the five accused named in the alleged abetment to suicide case of activist-advocate Sarita Khanchandani, two have approached the Additional Sessions Court seeking anticipatory bail. The pleas, however, have been strongly opposed by the deceased’s husband, Advocate Purshottam Khanchandani, who claimed that the accused have criminal antecedents and pose a high risk of tampering with evidence.

Accused Dhananjay Bodare, Shiv Sena (UBT) Kalyan district president, in his bail plea questioned the credibility of the suicide note recovered by Sarita’s family. Bodare described the note as “vague and omnibus,” alleging that it mentions several individuals collectively without assigning specific roles to any of them.

FPJ has accessed the detailed anticipatory bail application, which have challenged the suicide note alleging it to be‘so-called suicide note to be a vague and omnibus in nature’, which states:” Names of several individuals have been mentioned together in the notice without any details or attribution of acts. “

The ABA copy further reads, “The deceased, her husband, and daughter are all advocates by profession and well-versed with law. If there was any abetment, they would have produced the suicide note immediately. Instead, its discovery days later—after police initially refused to register abetment charges—raises serious doubts about its authenticity. The note appears to be an afterthought, fabricated to falsely implicate the applicant,” the plea argues.

The application further points out that initially, after the incident on August 28, no abetment offence was registered despite public allegations on social media by the family. The alleged suicide note was claimed to have been found on September 1, following a purported recovery of the deceased’s “lost mobile” and CCTV footage showing her writing in a diary.

Opposing the pleas, Advocate Purshottam Khanchandani, advocate Sarita’s husband,  alleged that Bodare and others, have allegedly  systematically harassed Sarita over a property dispute. He claimed that Bodare had allegedly illegally encroached on government land, built an unauthorized Shiv Sena Shakha, and attempted to capture part of Sarita’s property.

The objection states, “The accused deliberately created an atmosphere of fear and pressure, instigating Sarita to take the extreme step. They used political clout and even filed false cases under the Atrocities Act to force her to withdraw an FIR. They also defamed her through derogatory social media posts,” the reply reads.

The husband further alleged that Bodare rewarded co-accused Ulhas Falke by appointing him as Shakha Pramukh of the unauthorized shakha and used threats and nuisance to terrorize Sarita. The reply also cites Bodare’s alleged involvement in rioting, land encroachment, criminal intimidation, and violations under the Water Pollution Act.

The husband  asserted that custodial interrogation of the accused is essential for an effective probe, as they may possess vital evidence. He warned that granting anticipatory bail could allow them to tamper with evidence, influence witnesses, and derail the investigation.

“Bodare is one of the masterminds of this crime and has been absconding since the FIR was registered,” the reply reads.

Another accused, Raj Chandwani, also sought anticipatory bail, arguing that the FIR does not attribute any specific role to him and that his arrest would cause hardship to his family. His plea too was opposed by Khanchandani.

The court has reserved its order on the anticipatory bail pleas.

Mumbai: The Mumbai Airport Customs officers in two separate cases have seized over 13 kg of smuggled drugs having illicit market value of approx Rs 13.83 crores. Two passengers have been arrested by the Customs for smuggling contraband.

According to the agency sources, on the basis of profiling, the Customs officers at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) Mumbai, intercepted one passenger who had arrived from Bangkok on Monday.

“During the examination of the baggage, the Customs officers recovered 11.83 kg of suspected hydroponic weed (marijuana), with an illicit market value of approximately Rs 11.83 crores. The narcotic substance was cleverly concealed inside the checked-in trolley bag carried by the passenger,” said a Customs officer. The said passenger was then arrested under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

In another case, on the basis of specific intelligence, the Customs officers at CSMIA Mumbai intercepted and arrested one passenger who had arrived from Bangkok on Sunday. During the examination of the baggage, the Customs officers recovered 2 kg of suspected hydroponic weed with an illicit market value of approximately Rs 2 crores. The narcotic substance was cleverly concealed inside the checked-in trolley bag carried by the passeng

Thane: A 76-year-old woman’s bag containing a gold chain, a gold ring, and cash worth Rs 58,000 was stolen in a rickshaw in Dombivli by a woman travelling with a small child. The incident took place last Friday, after the victim, Vijaya Bhosale, returned from Ganpati celebrations in Konkan and hired a direct rickshaw from Pandit Dindayal Chowk to her home in Thakurwadi, near Dombivli West railway station.

As the rickshaw began its journey, a 40-year-old woman with a child forcibly entered the vehicle, despite Bhosale stating she had hired it for a solo trip. During the ride, the woman attempted to touch the gold chain around Bhosale’s neck.

When questioned, the woman denied any wrongdoing. However, she had placed her bag close to the elderly woman and managed to steal the gold ornaments and Rs 4,500 in cash from Bhosale’s wallet without being noticed.

It was only after reaching home and attempting to use her phone that Bhosale discovered the valuables were missing. She then realised the theft likely occurred during the shared rickshaw ride. A complaint has been registered at Vishnunagar police station, and authorities suspect the woman who forced her way into the rickshaw is responsible, as reported.

Reports suggest that some women have been targeting passengers near Dombivli railway station, using similar tactics. Complicating the investigation, CCTV cameras in the area were not operational at the time of the incident, making it more difficult for police to track down the suspect, described as chubby and accompanied by a child.