Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has granted bail to Vivekanand Pise alias Vicky and Rahul Mandri, accused in the 2011 Kurar quadruple murder case, citing their prolonged incarceration of over 13 years without trial and severe overcrowding in Mumbai’s jails.
On June 6, 2011, the partially charred and naked bodies of Chetan Dhule (24), Dinesh Ihire (26), Ganesh Karanje (24), and Bharat Kudle (27) were found on a deserted hillock in Appapada, Kurar village. They were allegedly kidnapped, marched up the hill, and murdered by local gangster Uday Pathak and his gang after a minor altercation.
Despite the gravity of the crime, Justice Milind Jadhav noted that the trial remains stalled. In 2020, the prosecution invoked the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), staying the quadruple murder trial until Pathak’s other MCOCA cases are concluded. Multiple applications by co-accused to recall witnesses further delayed proceedings.
In September 2023, the HC denied bail, calling the murders “cold-blooded”. However, Advocates Prashant Pandey and Dinesh Jadhwani, representing the accused, argued that their clients have already endured over 13 years in custody without trial. They pointed out that a co-accused had recently secured bail, seeking parity.
The Supreme Court had directed trial completion within three months in April 2023, yet no progress was made. Opposing bail, APP Mahalakshmi Ganapathy cited the heinous nature of the crime and the risk of witness intimidation. However, the HC ruled that continued incarceration without trial was unjust.
The court also acknowledged severe overcrowding in Mumbai’s jails, noting that barracks meant for 50 inmates now house 220–250 prisoners. It remarked that such conditions worsen the plight of undertrials, who remain detained indefinitely.
“Incarceration of the applicants for more than 13 years, 7 months, and 11 days, when viewed as pre-trial punishment, impels me to grant bail,” the HC stated.
The court granted bail on a Rs50,000 personal bond with conditions, including cooperation in trial proceedings, no travel outside Maharashtra without permission, and no influencing witnesses or tampering with evidence. It warned that any violation could lead to cancellation of bail.
While rejecting their bail in September 2023, the HC had said: “The accusations against the applicants are regarding the brutal and heinous manner in which the offence is committed, killing 4 victims in a cold-blooded manner. In the light of the materials on record, the nature of the accusations.. I am not inclined to allow the application.”
