MUMBAI: The Supreme Court has granted bail to Abhijeet Ganesh Kadu, a MCOCA gangster in the 2019 murder of Pune gangster Nilesh Wadkar, noting that he had spent over seven years and six months in custody and co-accused with similar roles had already secured bail.The bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta passed the order on August 5, 2026, while hearing Kadu’s Special Leave Petition challenging the Bombay High Court’s March 12 order rejecting his bail plea.The case relates to 2019 registered at Dattawadi Police Station, Pune City, concerning Wadkar’s murder on January 13, 2019, at Janata Colony in Pune’s Parvati area.Wadkar was walking with his associates when they were intercepted near Yallama Mandir by a group including Kadu, Dokephode and others.The accused allegedly formed an unlawful assembly and were armed with firearms, knives, iron rods and stones. Wadkar suffered multiple injuries and died, while several others were injured.According to the prosecution, there was a longstanding rivalry between two criminal gangs operating in Janata Vasahat. One gang was allegedly led by Sunil Dokephode alias “Chocolate Sunya”, while the other was associated with Wadkar.The rivalry allegedly dated back to 2007 and had resulted in earlier violent clashes. The accused were charged under Sections IPC of 143, 147, 148, 149, 302, 307, 324, 201 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code, besides provisions of the Arms Act, Maharashtra Police Act and MCOCA.Appearing for Kadu, advocate Sana Raees Khan argued that there was no specific evidence establishing his involvement in the murder.The defence disputed the allegation that Kadu had assaulted Wadkar with a koyta, pointing to differing witness statements and noting that injured witnesses’ statements recorded under Section 164 CrPC did not name him.Khan argued before the Supreme Court that he had been behind bars for over seven years and that there was no specific evidence establishing his involvement in the murder.The defence also submitted that Kadu was not produced before the trial court on 115 hearing dates, contributing to his prolonged incarceration.The Supreme Court held that the period already spent in custody and parity with similarly placed co-accused justified bail.The court directed Kadu’s release on conditions imposed by the trial court and ordered him to continue cooperating with the trial.
