​The North Goa Additional Sessions Court has rejected the second bail application of accused Sanjay Paswan in the September 2020 murder and dismemberment of a factory labourer in Bicholim. The court found that the heinous nature of the crime, strong circumstantial evidence, and the pending examination of crucial witnesses outweighed the defence’s plea for release on grounds of trial delay.

The accused, Sanjay Paswan, sought bail, citing nearly six years in custody since his arrest on September 20, 2020. He argued that only three witnesses had been fully examined so far and that the star prosecution witness had repeatedly failed to appear before the court despite summonses. The defence also sought parity, noting that the High Court had granted bail to co‑accused Chandmia Jabbar on July 6, 2026.

Opposing the plea, the public prosecutor argued that the accused faced grave charges of murder and causing the disappearance of evidence. The prosecution submitted that Paswan was directly linked to the disposal of the chopped body parts in a nearby jungle and that remnants of the victim’s burnt clothes were recovered at his instance. The prosecution further noted that the High Court had attributed a more serious role to the prime accused, Mishan Rahaman, and to Paswan, thereby ruling out parity.

According to Bicholim police, the crime occurred on September 15, 2020, in rented quarters housing labourers of a private company at Navelim, Bicholim. The victim, Jamidar Chafiruddin Rahaman, was allegedly strangled and chopped into pieces after discovering an illicit relationship between his wife and accused Chandmia Jabbar. The body parts were stuffed into plastic bags and dumped in the adjacent jungle.

Dismissing the bail application, the court observed that there had been no deliberate delay by the prosecution, noting time lost due to the COVID‑19 pandemic and earlier proceedings. The trial court emphasised that releasing the accused before examination of key eyewitnesses would pose a serious risk of witness tampering and of the accused fleeing justice.