Summary: A well-known case involving a violent attack in Nashik has had convictions reversed. The Bombay High Court found major problems with the first trial, leading to the freeing of the accused.
On the night of August 17, 2017, a violent event happened in Nashik. Suraj Khode and Amol Nikam were hurt, and their friend Nikhil More sadly lost his life. The people accused, including Roshan Jaywant Pagare and others, were first found guilty by the Nashik trial court on November 10, 2020, under different charges, including murder and trying to murder.
The attack happened near Happy Games Zone in Nashik. John Kajale, one of the accused, was said to have attacked Nikhil More with a sickle. Others, including Arif Qureshi and Roshan Pagare, were reported to have joined in with weapons. Witnesses said shots were fired, and the scene was chaotic.
"John Kajale gave two to three blows using a sickle on the head of Nikhil More..." - Court Document
The police investigation led to the arrest and trial of eight people. However, the trial court let three go because there wasn't enough evidence. The other five were found guilty based on what the injured witnesses said.
The High Court found several problems with the first trial: - Witness Trustworthiness: The court questioned how believable the witnesses were, noticing inconsistencies in what they said. - Evidence Problems: The finding of weapons wasn't clearly proven, and reports about the guns were unclear. - Delayed Police Report: The police report was filed several hours after the event, raising doubts about the timeline and the chance of false accusations because of past conflicts.
"The evidence of the witnesses demonstrated major inconsistencies and contradictions..." - High Court Judgment
On December 1, 2025, Judges Manish Pitale and Manjusha Deshpande reversed the convictions, citing not enough evidence and the chance of false accusations due to earlier disagreements between the parties.
The accused have been released, and they will remain free unless there are any more appeals. The High Court decided that the evidence wasn't strong enough to prove the accused were guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
