JUDGMENT :

1. Heard learned counsel for the applicant, learned APP for the State and Shri Mundargi, learned Amicus Curiae.

2. This is an application for bail by the applicant in connection with FIR No. 326 of 2018 dated 22/06/2018 registered with Malad police station which later came to be numbered as FIR No. 36 of 2018 of DCB CID for offences under sections 387 and 120B of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (‘IPC’, for short) along with sections 3, 25 read with 37(1)(a) of the Arms Act, 1959 and section 3(4) of the Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act, 1999 (‘MCOC’, for short) in which the charge-sheet came to be filed and it culminated into MCOC Special Case No. 2 of 2019. The facts in nutshell are as under :

3. The applicant is the accused no. 3. The applicant came to be arrested on 01/12/2018. There are in all 5 accused. As many as 7 accused are still absconding. I am not referring to the accusations in detail, suffice it to mention that the same are not only serious but also can be regarded as transnational crime.

4. The applicant on 18/02/2020 made an application under section 307 read with section 306 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (‘CrPC’, for short) seeking pardon of