Thane: Three persons accused of arson, destruction of property granted bail

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A local court in Maharashtra's Thane district granted bail to three persons, including two brothers, who had been in jail since December last year in connection with a case of arson, destruction of property and assault with weapons.

Additional sessions court judge A S Bhagwat passed the order on February 8 and it was made available on Tuesday, newswire PTI reported.

The court ordered the release of the three accused, Rahul Rajesh Maurya, Rohit Rajesh Maurya and Jitendra Subhash Patil, on a bail bond of Rs 25,000 each.

As per the first information report (FIR) registered against them, the accused had damaged the belongings, including a shawarma machine, of the complainant on December 15.

Advocate Amresh Jadhav, who represented the accused, argued that the police investigation was complete, and there was no need for the accused to remain in custody any longer. He also claimed that the allegations against them were baseless.

The court said the accusations against the trio were vague and unsubstantiated.

It added that the applicants had been in jail for an extended period and their continued detention served no purpose, especially when the investigation had concluded.

Meanwhile, a 30-year-old labour contractor has been killed allegedly by six persons in Navi Mumbai township of Maharashtra following a dispute over a 'Mathadi' site of headload workers, police said on Wednesday.

The incident took place on Tuesday evening at Sector 10 in Nerul area during which the deceased's wife also suffered injuries, they said.

The deceased and one of the accused, also in the same business, had developed friendship during their time together in a prison.

However, later a dispute arose between them over a Mathadi site of headload workers in Mankhurd area of neighbouring Mumbai, an official at Nerul police station said.

The dispute escalated on February 9, when the contractor and his wife were threatened by a group of individuals near a lake in Navi Mumbai.

On Tuesday, the accused person along with five other people intercepted the contractor and his wife while they were returning home with their child, the official said.

The assailants allegedly attacked the couple with iron rods and sharp weapons, resulting in the man's death. His wife was seriously injured and hospitalised, he said.

Following a complaint by the wife of the deceased, the Nerul police on Tuesday night registered a case against six persons under various Indian Penal Code sections including 302 (murder) and 307 (attempt to murder), and provisions of the Arms Act and the Maharashtra Police Act.

No arrest has been made so far, the police said, adding a probe was on into the case. (With inputs from PTI)