Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The Bombay High Court at Goa has granted the parties involved in the 2006 Mandar Surlakar kidnapping and murder case additional time to place their written arguments on record before the court proceeds further with the matter.
A Division Bench of Justice Neela Gokhale and Justice Amit Jamsandekar, after hearing the petitions on Thursday, directed all sides to submit their written submissions, supporting notes and a chronology of events by July 13, 2026. The matter has been listed on the same day at 4:30 pm for further directions.
The proceedings involve petitions filed by convicts Rohan Pai Dhungat, Shankar Tiwari and Ryan Pinto, along with other connected parties. Jovita Ryan Dos Remedios Pinto, who is serving her sentence at the Central Jail in Colvale, is also among the petitioners linked to the case.
One of the key issues before the court is Dhungat’s request for premature release. Earlier, his legal counsel argued that he has already completed the required qualifying period of imprisonment, including the time spent on parole, making him eligible for consideration under the State’s remission policy.
During the hearing, it was noted that the State Sentence Review (SSR) Board had recommended examining Dhungat’s case for early release after seeking the necessary reports. However, the recommendation did not receive approval after the judge who presided over the original trial expressed reservations, leading the State government to reject the application.
The High Court had previously intervened in the matter by setting aside the government’s August 20, 2025 decision. In its order delivered in December 2025, the court observed that the authorities had not adequately evaluated the SSR Board’s recommendation before refusing the plea.
With fresh written submissions now expected from all parties, the High Court will take up the matter again on July 13 to decide the future course of the proceedings.
