Gujarat HC grants bail to Mansukh Sagathiya in alleged disproportionate assets case

Gujarat High Court on Tuesday granted bail to Mansukh Sagathiya, in an alleged disproportionate assets case, who was also holding the post of in-charge town planning officer of Rajkot Municipal Corporation during the TRP game zone fire incident that killed 27 people.

Justice M R Mengdey while granting bail to the accused, in a case related to disproportionate assets, observed that the applicant had undergone incarceration for a period of more than one year by now. The investigation is over and a chargesheet is filed in the case. The prosecution has cited as many as 78 witnesses in the chargesheet. The applicant-accused was arrested in connection with a present offence and has been in custody since July 1, 2024. The trial of the offence is not likely to commence and conclude in the near future and hence taking note of all this aspects court allowed the bail plea of the accused.

The counsel appearing for the prosecution submitted before the court that – the applicant was holding the post of in-charge town planning officer (class-1) in Rajkot Municipal Corporation for a long time. During his tenure as such, the applicant had amassed the assets 628 times more than his known source of income. The huge amount of golden ornaments and cash were recovered from the locker which was maintained at the office of the brother of the applicant.

The investigation officer has recorded the statement of the brother of the applicant, who, in his statement has categorically stated that the material recovered from office belonged to the applicant. The brother of the applicant also in the statement before the IO that the said office had been purchased by him at the instance and insistence of the applicant – Mansukh Sagathiya. He also submitted that the applicant had purchased certain immovable properties in the name of his wife. The wife of the applicant in her statement given to the investigation officer has stated that all the affairs with regard to the purchase of the properties were looked at by the applicant and she was merely asked to put her signatures on certain documents and she used to put her signatures on those documents when asked by her husband. The accused had apparently procured the assets by resorting to illegal means and hence his bail plea should be rejected, the advocate argued.

Advocate appearing on behalf of applicant argued that the applicant has good reputation in the society and no useful purpose would be served by keeping him in jail for indefinite period. The applicant is ready and willing to abide by all the conditions that may be imposed by court if released on bail. Hence the court should use its discretion in favour of the applicant.

The fact of the matter is that at the time of registration of the offence, the applicant was allegedly found to be possessing the assets 410 times in excess of his known source of income. During the course of investigation, the said figure has gone up to 628 times. It is the case of the prosecution that the accused had amassed this much wealth by taking recourse to illegal means. A FIR was lodged related to the offence at ACB police station in Rajkot.