In an important ruling in the Baba Siddique assassination case, the Bombay High Court granted bail to 22-year-old Akashdeep Karaj Singh, saying there was no initial evidence directly tying him to the Anmol Bishnoi-led crime syndicate.

Justice Neela Gokhale passed the order on Singh's bail plea after he was arrested by Mumbai police under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) for alleged links to the gang leader and his network.

“Undoubtedly, the acts committed by the Organised Crime Syndicate, alleged to be headed by the Bishnoi brothers, are serious offences. The provisions of MCOCA are rightly invoked,” the Court held.

After examining the evidence, Justice Gokhale said there were not enough grounds to treat the MCOCA charges against him as prima facie valid.

“I am unable to form an opinion that there are reasonable grounds, at this stage, for believing that the accusations against Singh of commission of the offence under the MCOCA are prima facie true,” the Court stated.

Prosecution’s Evidence Found Insufficient:

Prosecutors argued that Singh was actively involved in the syndicate. They pointed to phone calls to co-accused Sujit Singh, some unclear international calls, a photograph of him holding a gun, and a cash deposit in Punjab that was transferred to a Mumbai account. However, the judge ruled this was not enough to apply the strict bail restrictions under Section 21(4) of MCOCA.

“Merely putting through a call to the co-accused prima facie does not connect Singh with the organised crime syndicate, unless it is demonstrated that Singh had knowledge of the co-accused being engaged in assisting in any manner, an organised crime syndicate. This fact can be established only during the trial,” the Court held.

The judge also noted that investigators could not identify who received the international calls:

“A bare allegation unsupported by any material that the Applicant made international calls to supporters of the Organised Crime Syndicate in Canada, does not indicate his complicity in the offence.”

Bail Granted With Strict Conditions:

Considering Singh’s young age, clean record, and the limited alleged link based mainly on a single call, the Court granted bail with strict conditions — a ₹1 lakh bond with local sureties, mandatory reporting to prosecutors every alternate Monday, and he cannot leave Maharashtra without permission.

Case Details: Akashdeep Karaj Singh v. State of Maharashtra & Ors