Court Denies Bail to Gaja Marne in Brutal IT Employee Assault Case; MCOCA Charges Hold Firm

Tejas Navale

Pune, May 22, 2025: A special MCOCA court on Saturday rejected the bail plea of notorious gangster Gajanan alias Gaja Marne, the prime accused in the brutal assault case of an IT professional in Kothrud. Special Judge V. R. Kachre turned down Marne’s application, asserting that the investigation was still at a crucial stage and that granting bail at this point would be premature. The court also granted a 30-day extension for filing the chargesheet against all ten accused, including Gaja Marne and his close aide Rupesh Marne.

The case stems from a violent incident that unfolded on the afternoon of February 19, when Devendra Jog, a young IT employee, was brutally thrashed in Bhelke Nagar, Kothrud. The assailants, allegedly from the notorious Marne gang, attacked Jog in broad daylight around 4:30 pm. Taking serious note of the incident, Pune Police invoked provisions of the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against the key accused.

The list of accused includes Gajanan Marne, Rupesh Marne, Om Tirtharam Dharmajigyasu, Kiran Kondiba Padwal, and Amol Vinayak Tapkir—all residents of Shastri Nagar, Kothrud. Another accused, Shrikant Sambhaji Pawar, alias Babya, hails from Vadgaon Rasai in Shirur taluka. The police have built a strong case pointing to gang activity, premeditation, and a pattern of organised crime.

Further, four more individuals—Balkrishna alias Pandya Laxman Mohite, Pradeep Kandhare, Satish alias Aba Sudhakar Shilimkar, and Vishal Vilas Dhumal—have also been booked. They are accused of serving Marne mutton biryani at a roadside dhaba while he was being transported from Yerawada Jail to Sangli Jail.

Marne had moved his bail application through his lawyer Advocate Vijaysingh Thombre, arguing that the MCOCA provisions were misapplied and that the victim himself had submitted an affidavit stating that there was no instigation by the accused. The defence also revealed that they had already approached the High Court to challenge the MCOCA applicability.

However, Special Public Prosecutor Pramod Bombatkar strongly opposed the bail, stating that Gaja Marne remained an active participant in the organised assault and that there was a concerted effort underway to influence or intimidate the complainant. Bombatkar emphasised that the investigation was far from over, with several accused still absconding and more names potentially emerging as the probe unfolds. Taking these arguments into account, the special court ruled against bail for Gaja Marne.