MCOCA Charges Quashed Earlier, SC Grants Bail to Imran Mehendi in Qureshi Murder Case

Supreme Court Grants Bail to Imran Mehendi After 12 Years in Jail in Salim Qureshi Murder Case

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The Supreme Court has granted bail to Imran Mehendi alias Dilawar, the main accused serving a life sentence in the high-profile kidnapping and murder case of former corporator and Roxy Theatre owner Salim Qureshi in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.

A bench comprising Justice M.M. Sundresh and Justice Prasanna B. Varale granted Mehendi bail while staying his sentence, subject to the conditions imposed by the trial court.

What Happened in the Case?

Salim Qureshi was allegedly kidnapped from the Town Hall area in the early hours of March 4, 2012. During the investigation, his mutilated body was recovered from a deserted location in the Mitmita area on March 11, 2012.

According to the prosecution case, the murder was linked to a dispute over dominance in Aasifiya Colony and allegations of illegal money-lending activities.

On August 27, 2018, the Special MCOCA Court sentenced Imran Mehendi and seven other accused to life imprisonment.

MCOCA Charges Were Earlier Quashed

The Aurangabad Bench of the Bombay High Court on June 11, 2024, quashed the offences registered under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) in the case. However, it upheld the life sentence for offences under Sections 302 (murder), 364 (kidnapping) and 201 of the IPC.

Mehendi subsequently approached the Supreme Court through a Special Leave Petition (SLP) challenging the High Court order.

The Supreme Court took into consideration the period he had already spent in custody and the time for which the proceedings had remained pending. According to the case details provided, Mehendi has spent around 12 years in actual custody and about 18 years when remission is taken into account.

The apex court consequently ordered a stay on his sentence and directed that he be released on bail subject to the trial court's terms and conditions.