Nearly 35 years after the notorious JJ Hospital shootout that left a gangster, another patient, and two on-duty constables dead, a special court on Tuesday denied the fourth bail petition filed by 65-year-old Mohd Farooque Yasin Mansoor. Mansoor has spent more than eight years in detention in connection with the case, and the court simultaneously ordered that the trial be conducted twice a week to guarantee a swift conclusion.
Special judge Satyanarayan Navander conceded that Mansoor's extended detention presented valid concerns regarding his constitutional right to an expeditious trial, but concluded that the gravity of the circumstances did not justify his release. The legal proceedings stem from the September 12, 1992, attack at the state-run Sir JJ Hospital, where members of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim's syndicate allegedly stormed the premises and opened fire on Shailesh Haldankar, an incarcerated member of the rival Arun Gawli gang who was receiving treatment under police guard.
The shooting resulted in the deaths of Haldankar, another patient named Bipin Shere, and two constables. Investigators state that the assault was organized to retaliate for the July 1992 murder of Ibrahim Ismail Parkar, Dawood's brother-in-law, whom the syndicate suspected had been targeted by individuals linked to the Gawli gang.
Mansoor stands accused of harboring the attackers, including Subhashsingh Thakur, Sunil Sawant, Brijesh Singh, and an individual named Pradhan, at his home and assisting their subsequent flight. Initially listed as a wanted fugitive in the charge sheet, he was taken into custody in April 2018 after remaining at large for many years.
Presenting his latest application, Mansoor contended that the trial had stalled despite prior judicial instructions for a speedy resolution. His defense counsel, Smita Sonawane, argued that no witnesses were questioned between November 2025 and July 2026, and maintained that the sheer volume of remaining witnesses made a timely completion improbable. Furthermore, counsel highlighted his advanced age and medical conditions as additional grounds warranting his release.
Special public prosecutor Sunil Gonsalves contested the request, emphasizing that the prosecution involves multiple homicides and severe conspiracy charges under the stringent Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Prevention Act. The prosecution also highlighted Mansoor's history of evading authorities and incriminating material from prior related proceedings.
The state attributed some of the delays to proceedings tied to a supplementary charge sheet filed against another co-accused in April 2025, alongside a defense request in March 2026 for a fresh recording of evidence on the grounds that past testimony could not be utilized in the current matter. Additionally, the prosecution sought permission to introduce earlier testimony from witnesses who have since died, vanished, or are otherwise unavailable.
While ruling that prolonged detention does not grant an automatic right to bail, the judge emphasized that the right to a speedy trial must remain a substantive protection rather than an empty formality. The court ordered that hearings take place every Monday and Tuesday wherever possible, urging both sides to cooperate to bring the matter to a close as quickly as possible. Mansoor's previous three bail petitions had been dismissed in September 2021, March 2024, and November 2025.