HC grants bail to driver in son's elopement case

The Bombay High Court has granted bail to a driver with the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation Limited (MSRTC), who was arrested for allegedly facilitating his son's elopement with a minor girl in Solapur.
Sunil Khamitkar was arrested in March this year by the police in Solapur for allegedly facilitating his son's elopement with a 16-year-old girl and then demanding ransom of Rs 25 lakh from the girl's father.
Justice S C Dharmadhikari, while granting Khamitkar bail on a surety of Rs 15,000 observed that the prosecution has relied on hearsay statements of some witnesses claiming that the accused had demanded money from the complainant (girl's father) for the release of the girl.

"Prima facie, this material is not enough to continue the detention of the applicant (Khamitkar). There is no direct conversation with regard to that demand. Merely because the daughter of the complainant and the son of the applicant are not traceable that by itself and without anything more is not enough to detain the applicant in custody any longer," the court said.
Khamitkar was arrested on March 13 this year for offences punishable under sections 363 (kidnapping). According to the prosecution, Khamitkar's son had eloped with the complainant's daughter, studying in standard 11th.
"The applicant has been involved only because it is alleged that the applicant has facilitated their running away and has now been demanding money from the complainant to return his daughter," Justice Dharmadhikari observed.