The Bombay High Court has granted bail to a retired Army jawan who shot dead his estranged wife during domestic violence proceedings at a court premises in Shirur, Nashik district, in June 2022.
The court cited his prolonged incarceration of four years and four months and the lack of progress in the trial, which has not yet commenced.
A bench of Justice Milind Jadhav observed that statements of eyewitnesses indicated that Deepak Pandurang Dhavale’s anger was directed at his wife, Manjula Dhavale.
The court noted that other family members, including the couple’s two daughters and Manjula’s parents, were present at the scene.
The bench observed that although Deepak fired at his wife, he did not shoot at his in-laws or daughters. Instead, he pushed them when they attempted to intervene.
The court also noted that Deepak’s brother had called on him to kill their two daughters, but he did not do so, allowing them to run inside the court building to save themselves.
WIFE HAD FILED DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASE IN 2020
Deepak and Manjula married in 2005 and lived in Ambernath in Thane district. Disputes arose a year after their marriage but were resolved following the intervention of family members.
In 2020, Deepak left the Army and joined a private company in Raigad district. Manjula subsequently complained of harassment and initiated proceedings under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act that year.
On June 7, 2022, Manjula was at the court premises to meet her lawyers during the domestic violence proceedings. She and her family members were waiting under a tree at around 11.45 am when Deepak arrived with his brother and fired three rounds at her.
When Manjula’s father attempted to intervene, Deepak kicked him. He also struck Manjula’s mother on the head with the butt of his pistol. Deepak and his brother fled as people rushed to the scene.
Manjula and her mother were taken to hospital, but Manjula died before she could receive treatment.
COURT CITES PROLONGED INCARCERATION AND TRIAL DELAY
Advocate Satyavrat Joshi, appearing for Deepak, acknowledged the gravity of the offence but argued that his client had spent four years and four months in custody without meaningful progress in the trial.
He submitted that the trial had not progressed since 2024 and sought bail, also citing Deepak’s service in the Army and lack of previous criminal antecedents.
The high court observed that the trial was likely to take considerable time to conclude, as it had not even begun. It also noted that Deepak had no criminal antecedents and that the crime was linked to the domestic violence proceedings initiated by his wife.
“Long incarceration of 4 years and 4 months, notwithstanding the gravity of the crime persuades me to grant bail to Applicant on the basis of the above reasons,” the court observed.
The bail order was based on the circumstances cited by the bench, including the prolonged period of custody, the absence of prior criminal antecedents and the expected delay in the trial.
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