Mangaluru: The Karnataka High Court has granted bail to Sachin (26), the prime accused in the mob lynching case involving the death of a 38-year-old ragpicker from Kerala. The decision comes months after the accused was denied bail by a sessions court while other accused persons in the case had already secured their release on bail.
Prime accused had earlier been denied bail
Following the mob lynching incident on April 27, 2025, Mangaluru Rural Police arrested 21 youths, including Sachin. The police subsequently filed a charge sheet before the Sixth Additional District and Sessions Court, naming Sachin as Accused No. 1 in the case.
While the sessions court granted bail to the remaining 20 accused, it rejected Sachin’s bail application in December 2025. Challenging that order, Sachin approached the Karnataka High Court through his advocate, P.P. Hegde.
The bail plea was opposed by the Additional Special Public Prosecutor as well as the advocate representing the deceased victim’s family.
Court notes absence of premeditation
During the hearing, the High Court examined the circumstances surrounding the incident. According to court observations, a group of youths who were playing cricket at the Batra Kallurti temple grounds allegedly assaulted the ragpicker after he reportedly shouted slogans in favour of Pakistan.
The court observed that the deceased was a stranger to all the accused persons and that there was no prior acquaintance or personal dispute between them.
Based on these observations, the court noted that the alleged attack did not appear to be premeditated and that there was no established motive against the deceased.
Trial unlikely to conclude soon
The High Court also took note of the scale of the prosecution’s evidence. According to court records, the prosecution has cited as many as 216 witnesses in the case.
Considering the large number of witnesses and the likelihood that the trial may take considerable time to conclude, the court observed that the chances of completing the proceedings in the near future were remote.
The court held that prolonged incarceration while awaiting trial was a relevant factor in considering the bail application.
Bail granted to all accused
With the High Court’s latest order, all 21 accused persons in the case have now been granted bail. The remaining 20 accused had earlier secured bail from the sessions court, while Sachin remained in custody following the rejection of his initial application.
The grant of bail does not amount to an acquittal, and the criminal proceedings against all accused persons will continue before the trial court. The prosecution is expected to proceed with the examination of witnesses and presentation of evidence during the trial.
Case remains under judicial scrutiny
The mob lynching case attracted significant public attention following the death of the Kerala native in April 2025. The case is currently pending before the Sixth Additional District and Sessions Court, where the trial will continue in accordance with legal procedures.
With the High Court granting bail to the final accused awaiting release, attention is now expected to shift towards the progress of the trial and the examination of the extensive witness list cited by the prosecution.