Kasab judge Tahaliyani on Nagpur bench

NAGPUR: Come Monday and there will be some good news for thousands of aggrieved litigants who are fed up with huge pendency of cases at the Nagpur bench of Bombay high court. After many years, the Nagpur bench would have two division benches looking after criminal petitions, reliable sources citing a circular by registrar (Judicial-I) Mangesh Patil told TOI.
Among the six newly appointed high court judges two would be making their way to the city: Principal sessions judge of Mumbai district court ML Tahaliyani and Utkarsh Bakre. The former conducted trials of India`s most sensational case — Mumbai`s 26/11 terror attacks involving the only surviving Pakistani terrorist Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab. Tahaliyani had sentenced Kasab to death.
He also granted bail to Pune-based businessman Hasan Ali who is touted as the country`s biggest scamster as the enforcement directorate (ED) failed to come up with sufficient evidence that could nail him. His bail was later cancelled by the Supreme Court.
Bakre was a lawyer before being elevated as the high court judge. Along with the two, sessions judges T Nalawade and Abhay Thipsay, high court registrar general MN Gilani and another lawyer Madan Joshi were elevated as high court judges. With these appointments, the strength of judges at Nagpur, Bombay, Aurangabad and Goa benches would go up to 68 from 61.
As per the new roster of Nagpur bench, the first criminal bench would comprise justices Vijaya Tahilramani and Tahaliyani while the second would be headed by Ambadas Joshi with Bakre assisting him. The first bench would hear the matters relating to criminal work for admission, final hearing and order. Criminal appeals in which convicts are in a jail or on bail and appeals related to acquittals would come up before the bench headed by Joshi.
The former division bench comprising Dilip Sinha and Ashok Bhangale would continue to look after all PILs. Another bench led by Sharad Bobde would hear petitions pertaining to central excise, customs, sales and income tax along with justice SB Deshmukh.
Judges including Vasanti Naik, Arun Chaudhari, Prasanna Varale, Pramod Kode and Ravi Deshpande would head single-judge benches. Justice Kode and Justice Varale would be hearing criminal petitions.