MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court (HC) on Monday acquitted Bhagwat Kale, a man sentenced to death in 2021 for a 1997 Pune case involving robbery and the brutal murders of four family members, including two children. The HC directed Kale’s immediate release, citing insufficient evidence to uphold his conviction or confirm his death sentence.
Kale, a watchman and odd-job worker, was accused of robbing cash and silver ornaments worth approximately ₹49 lakh from the victims — Ramesh Patil (55), Vijaya Patil (47), Pooja Patil (13), and Manjunath Patil (10) — at their Kalyaninagar residence. The murders occurred on the night of May 15-16, 1997.
A division bench of Justices Bharati Dangre and Manjusha Deshpande dismissed the state’s plea for confirmation of Kale’s death sentence, stating, “Since we find no case made out in confirming the death sentence… we dismiss the confirmation case.” Kale’s conviction was overturned in a detailed judgment that is yet to be published.
Background of the Case
In 2004, a Pune sessions court convicted two other accused: Geetabai Kale, Bhagwat’s wife and a domestic helper at the Patil residence, and Sahebrao alias Navnath Kale. Geetabai received a life sentence, while Navnath was sentenced to death.
In November 2004, the HC commuted Navnath’s death sentence to life imprisonment but upheld his and Geetabai’s convictions. However, Bhagwat Kale, absconding at the time, could not be tried. He was re-arrested 13 years later and subsequently convicted in 2021 before being acquitted by the HC in its latest ruling.
The judgment underscores the critical importance of establishing clear and convincing evidence, especially in cases involving capital punishment.
