Bombay HC Asks Police To Produce Material In Abhishek Ghosalkar Murder Case

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Monday asked the police to produce the material, including call data record (CDR), collected in relation to the murder of former corporator Abhishek Ghoshalkar of the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the alleged suicide of businessman and social worker Mauris Noronha, who shot himself after killing Ghosalkar.

The court has also asked the deputy commissioner of police (DCP) supervising the investigation to check the CCTV footage and CDR related to the case and submit it the same before the court. It has also asked the DCP to investigate the possibility of involvement of a third person, as alleged by the Ghosalkar’s widow, Tejasvee.

Ghosalkar was killed by businessman and social worker Noronha on February 8 during a Facebook ‘Live’ session in Borivali. Noronha used his bodyguard Amarendra Mishra’s gun. Noronha subsequently allegedly killed himself.

A bench of Justices Revati Mohite-Dere and Manisha Deshpande was hearing a petition by Tejasvee, through advocate Bhushan Mhadik, alleging involvement of more person in her husband’s death. Mhadik said that the circumstances under which Noronha was found dead in his office after killing Ghosalkar were suspicious.

Public prosecutor Hiten Venegavkar said that the DCP and the investigating officer would meet the petitioner. Tejasvee’s plea raises grievance that the investigating agency has “not made any concrete justifiable break through” on the “untimely and highly suspicious, serious, ruthless, brutal, heinous, gruesome, broad daylight, cold-blooded murder killing” of her husband.

According to Tejasvee’s plea, in 2019, an offence was registered against Mishra at Sarai Inayat Police Station, Ganganagar, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, for causing riots, voluntarily causing hurt, intentionally insulting with an intent to provoke thereby causing breach of peace and criminal intimidation.

Mishra was hired by Noronha in December 2023 as his personal bodyguard without approaching any security agency that is duly authorised to deploy guards with or without weapons.

Further, Tejasvee had filed a complaint against Noronha in May 2022 for allegedly making defamatory statements, actions, words, gestures against her with a criminal intent to insult and outrage modesty.

On February 8, seven to eight bullet shots were fired at Ghosalkar after which he left his three mobile handsets on the sofa chair and went towards the door of the Noronha’s chamber. However, Ghosalkar fell on the black tinted glass of the office, which broke and he collapsed.