High Court stays Vaze bail; NIA appeal to be heard on October 7
The Bombay High Court on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, stayed a lower court’s order granting bail to dismissed police officer Sachin Vaze in the Antilia bomb scare case and the Mansukh Hiran murder case. Acting on an appeal filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), a bench of Justice Girish Kulkarni and Justice Neela Gokhale ordered that the bail would not operate until the court hears the matter in October. The case has been posted for October 7.
Bench steps in after multiple recusals
The appeal reached the bench of Justice Kulkarni and Justice Gokhale after a series of recusals by other judges assigned to hear the matter. Earlier on Wednesday, a bench comprising Justice Bharati Dangre and Justice Ashish Chavan declined to hear the appeal. Justice Dangre cited an order she had previously passed in a case involving Vaze and former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, noting that the present appeal had links to that matter. Justice Chavan also recused, with Justice Dangre observing that he had appeared for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the Deshmukh case. The bench then passed an order formally recusing from the appeal.
On Tuesday evening, September 29, the NIA’s appeal was first mentioned before a bench of Justice Sarang Kotwal and Justice Ranjitsinha Bhonsale, which had the roster to hear the matter. Justice Kotwal recused himself, stating that advocate Manoj Mohite had appeared for Vaze and that he does not hear cases in which Mr. Mohite represents a party. Justice Kotwal noted that he had worked with Mr. Mohite during his days as an advocate.
Interim stay on bail order
When the matter was taken up by the bench of Justice Kulkarni and Justice Gokhale on Wednesday, the court stayed the operation of the bail order “for the time being” and directed that it would not come into effect until the October hearing. The court then posted the appeal for October 7.
What is before the court
The appeal filed by the NIA challenges the grant of bail to Vaze in two high-profile matters: the Antilia bomb scare case and the murder of businessman Mansukh Hiran. Vaze, a dismissed police officer, has been an accused in both cases. The source order under challenge had allowed him bail, prompting the central agency to move the High Court seeking a stay and reversal of that decision.
Possible administrative steps
In light of the recusals and the listing of the appeal, the NIA may mention the matter before Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi to seek the constitution of an appropriate bench to hear the appeal on the scheduled date. The administrative step would be aimed at ensuring continuity of the proceedings and timely adjudication on October 7.
Significance and next hearing
The High Court’s interim order prevents the bail from taking effect until the appeal is substantively heard. The matter is slated to return to court on October 7, when the bench is expected to consider the merits of the NIA’s challenge to the lower court’s bail order.
