North Goa Additional Sessions Court has rejected a second bail application filed by Devidas Barve, who is facing trial for murdering his son, Shravan Barve, with the help of two co-accused, Vasudev Ozrekar and Uday Barve. The court emphasized that a prolonged trial or delay cannot alone justify granting bail to an individual facing serious charges such as murder.

Devidas Barve’s advocate argued for bail on the grounds of “changed circumstances,” noting that the accused had been incarcerated for over a year. The defense contended that the trial was being unnecessarily prolonged, pointing out that witnesses failed to appear on time despite non-bailable warrants being issued and that some hearings were deferred because of lack of court time. The defense also cited the accused’s health as a reason for release.

The prosecution opposing Barve’s bail plea argued that the accused was the mastermind behind the heinous crime — a stance the High Court had previously upheld when it rejected his earlier bail application.

Dismissing the bail application, the court found no merit in the defense’s arguments and observed that “delay in trial cannot be a ground to grant bail, especially to a person charged with a serious offence like murder. Prolonged custody and trial delay alone cannot override the statutory bar.”

On the matter of health, the court further observed that Devidas Barve appeared healthy, coherent, and capable during video conferencing, and no medical evidence was produced to demonstrate any debilitating illness.