Court rejects bail, discharge plea in 1992 JJ Hospital Firing case
Mumbai Court Dismisses Pleas in Gang-Related JJ Hospital Shootout Case
Mumbai: Following the reopening of the 1992 JJ Hospital firing case, a special court in Mumbai has rejected both the discharge and bail applications of a 63-year-old man arrested earlier this year in connection with the shootout.
According to the news reports, the incident, stemming from a violent gang rivalry between the factions of Arun Gawli and Dawood Ibrahim, left three people dead, including two police constables.
The accused is currently lodged in Mirzapur District Prison and has filed applications under Sections 227 and 439 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, seeking discharge and bail, respectively.
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The defence contended that with one assailant already discharged and the other convicted, there was no scope for a third accused. They also highlighted that the identification parade was conducted 32 years after the incident, the alias linked to him was incorrect, and there were inconsistencies in the medical and forensic reports.
Special Public Prosecutor Sunil Gonsalves opposed both applications, maintaining that the accused's identity was firmly established through medical records and documentary evidence. The prosecution noted that Rampatisingh sustained firearm injuries during the police counter-firing and was treated at a hospital in Surat, where doctors and eyewitnesses later identified him.
Gonsalves also noted that the accused had refused to provide a DNA sample and had prior criminal antecedents, making him a potential flight risk who could tamper with evidence if released.
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The bail application was also dismissed, with the court observing that granting bail at this stage would amount to a “mini-trial.” With both pleas rejected, the decades-old case now moves toward the full trial phase.
