On March 30, 2019, the Court of Session for Greater Bombay granted bail to Shrikant Popatrao Warunde in Bail Application No. 270 of 2019, connected to ACB R.A. No. 335 of 2019. The application was heard by Special Judge S.V. Yarlagadda under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Warunde was arrested on March 26, 2019, on allegations of demanding a bribe of Rs. 40,000 and receiving Rs. 10,000. He was charged under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. At the time of the bail application, he had been remanded to judicial custody after three days in police custody.

Mr. Sharad Mulik, the advocate for Warunde, argued for his release. The prosecution, represented by Mr. S.E. Soshthe, APP, opposed the bail, citing that the investigation was at a primary stage and detailed inquiries into Warunde’s role and potential involvement of co-accused or other public servants were pending. They also expressed concerns that Warunde might influence witnesses or destroy evidence.

After considering the arguments and perusing the case papers, the court found no necessity for Warunde’s continued custodial detention. The judge noted that Warunde had already spent three days in police custody and there was no report of involvement of any other public servant.

Furthermore, the applicant presented an affidavit from his brother, stating that their uncle, Subhash Shelke, had passed away on March 29, 2019, and Warunde’s presence was required for customary rituals. The affidavit also mentioned that their father, Popatrao, suffering from cancer, had been discharged from the hospital on March 29, 2019.

The court deemed the grounds cited by the prosecution for opposing bail insufficient for rejection. To address concerns about influencing witnesses and tampering with evidence, the court decided to impose necessary conditions.

Final Order:

The court ordered the release of Shrikant Popatrao Warunde on a Personal Recognizance (PR) Bond of Rs. 25,000/- with one or two solvent sureties or a cash surety of the like amount, subject to the following conditions:

• The applicant shall not directly or indirectly influence the prosecution witnesses or tamper with its evidence.
• The applicant shall attend the office of ACB, Mumbai, and make himself available to the Investigating Officer between 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on every Sunday for a period of 2 months or until the final report is filed, whichever occurs first.
• The applicant shall regularly attend the Court on the given dates if the chargesheet is filed and cooperate for the expeditious disposal of the case.

The Investigating Officer was directed to note these conditions. The application was disposed of accordingly.