Habitual Offenders Cannot Be Released On Temporary Bail; Bombay HC Rejects Former BJP Corporator's Plea [Read Order]
Live LawThe Bombay High Court on Friday rejected the bail application filed by Mahesh B Patil, a former BJP Corporator from Kalyan-Dombivali observing that habitual offenders like him do not deserve to be released on temporary bail as per the guidelines of the State High Power Committee. Justice Sadhna S Jadhav heard Patil's bail plea along with an intervention application filed by Kunal Patil. As reported earlier, another bench of the High Court had questioned whether Sessions Court can reject the applicant's bail once he was eligible under the guidelines issued by the High Power Committee for release of certain categories of prisoners in order to decongest prisons following the Supreme Court's order dated May 23 in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. Court referred to the guidelines issued by the State High Power Committee dated March 25- "The prisoners who fall in the class or the category spelt out by this decision will be entitled to be released in accordance with law in considering every case for such reliefs, the nature of the offence and severity of the offence shall be considered.