Mumbai: HC Relief For Congress MP Chandrakant Handore's Son In Hit-And-Run Case

In a relief for Ganesh Handore, son of Congress MP Chandrakant Handore, who was arrested by the Mumbai Police on October 5 in a hit-and-run case, the Bombay High Court on Wednesday has granted him interim bail. 

A bench of Justices Revati Mohite-Dere and Prithviraj Chavan directed his release on furnishing a personal bond of Rs15,000. 

Handore’s lawyers, senior advocate Rajiv Chavan and advocate Ashwin Thool, submitted that the initial charges against the accused were bailable. However, subsequently the police added charges of culpable homicide under Section 110 of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), which is a non-bailable offence. 

Chavan argued that Handore was medically unfit and suffering from serious health conditions, requesting an urgent hearing. 

Opposing the bail, the police claimed that the offence was serious and Handore had driven at high speed on a narrow road without assisting the victim or reporting the incident to the authorities.

The court noted that it was a case of rash and negligent driving and questioned the invoking section 110 of the BNS. The bench then granted interim relief but allowed the investigation to continue.

On October 5, Handore’s Honda Accord allegedly rammed into one Gopal Aarote near Acharya College in Chembur, in the early hours. The police then arrested Handore. 

Initially, Handore approached sessions court seeking bail which was denied. The sessions court rejected his bail observing that evidence clearly indicated Handore was driving at high speed when the incident occurred. It also said that Handore failed to stop the car after hitting the victim, and continued to drive. The sessions judge also expressed apprehension of potential pressure on witnesses, as both the accused and witnesses reside in the same area.