Mumbai: Govandi resident gets bail in murder case of COVID-19 positive man

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The sessions court recently granted bail to a 21-year-old driver who was among those booked for the murder of a man whose body was lost and subsequently "found" decomposed a few days later in the corner of the morgue during the peak of COVID-19 in June.

"Though DNA test was conducted, no report was produced to confirm it was that person's body," the court observed.

According to a report in the Times of India, while granting bail to Govandi resident Wasim Shaikh, the court referred to the post-mortem report and said that given the state of the body it cannot be inferred that his death was caused by just stabbing.

"This being so, and as the investigation is over and the charge-sheet is filed, it would be futile to keep the accused detained further," the court stated. The sessions court said that the autopsy was conducted on June 13, 2020, and the doctor found an injury on his back.

"But he could not give a firm opinion on cause of death as the body was totally decomposed. Even, according to eyewitnesses, a single blow of the chopper on the back was given by the accused. In the circumstances and particularly for want of candid opinion on cause of death, it cannot be inferred that the death was only due to the injury," the court said.

The 24-year-old victim was allegedly stabbed to death by some men, including relatives, over a quarrel on the night of June 3, 2020. Although he was rushed to Rajawadi Hospital, the victim was declared brought dead. Later, the deceased was found COVID-19 positive.

The sessions court pointed out to some "glaring facts" and said that later the body went missing along with that of another person. The order also stated that after a body was found, relatives of the other person were called. However, they said it was not the corpse of their kin. The court said this seems to have made police believe it was the body of the victim in this case.