The High Court has granted regular bail to Nagendra Kumar, an accused in the February 2023 murder of Nirvan Bharat at Betalbatim, South Goa. The court relied primarily on parity with co‑accused and prolonged pre‑trial incarceration without meaningful progress in the trial.

The court directed the release of Kumar, who has been held at Central Jail, Colvale, for more than three and a half years.

On February 8, 2023, Nirvan Bharat was found murdered in a rented apartment at Betalbatim. The assailants allegedly fled in the victim’s car. Kumar and other co‑accused were later intercepted and arrested inside the deceased’s vehicle during a police naka bandhi in Bhilwara, Rajasthan.

Advocates Rohan Desai and Ashay Priolkar, appearing for the applicant, submitted that Kumar is a young man with no prior criminal record. They argued that the role attributed to Kumar is identical to that of co‑accused Shahid Khan and Alok Singh, both of whom had already been granted bail. Counsel Desai further noted that although the chief examination of the first prosecution witness was recorded in 2025, there had been no substantial progress since, and the trial was unlikely to conclude in the foreseeable future.

The prosecution opposed the bail plea, pointing out that Kumar was found inside the deceased’s vehicle, was captured on CCTV at the scene, and had given a confessional statement before a Judicial Magistrate.

The High Court observed that Kumar’s confessional statement had been subsequently retracted, leaving no material distinction between his case and that of co‑accused Alok Singh, who was granted bail by the High Court in April 2026. Noting the absence of any acceptable explanation for the trial delay, the court held that Kumar was entitled to bail on the grounds of parity and extended incarceration.

The High Court ordered Kumar’s release subject to conditions, including furnishing a personal recognizance bond of Rs. 50,000 with one or two local sureties of the like amount.