2018 arms haul case: HC grants bail to 5 accused citing lack of evidence

The Bombay High Court has granted bail to five persons arrested by the Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) in connection with a 2018 arms haul case and for allegedly conspiring to attack the Sunburn festival in Pune, citing prima facie insufficient evidence to prove the conspiracy charge.

A division bench of Justices Bharati Dangre and Manjusha Deshpande, in the order of July 30, also took note of the long incarceration of the accused persons with bleak chances of the trial ending soon.

The ATS arrested five persons in 2018 after it seized arms, ammunition and explosives from the residence of two other accused in the Nallasopara area of Thane district. The ATS had claimed the arms and explosives were to be used to target the Sunburn festival in Pune in December 2017.

The bench perused the witness statements and other evidence submitted by the prosecution in its chargesheet and said they were "insufficient".

"We have prima facie formed an opinion that these statements are ...