Nearly 35 years after the notorious JJ Hospital shootout that claimed the lives of a rival gangster, another patient, and two police constables, a special court on Tuesday turned down the fourth bail petition filed by 65-year-old Mohd Farooque Yasin Mansoor. Mansoor has remained incarcerated for more than eight years in connection with the case, prompting the court to order that trial hearings be conducted twice a week to ensure a swift conclusion.

The historical incident dates back to September 12, 1992, at the state-run Sir JJ Hospital in Mumbai. Prosecutors state that operatives belonging to fugitive underworld figure Dawood Ibrahim's faction breached the medical facility and opened fire on Shailesh Haldankar, an alleged member of the Arun Gawli syndicate who was receiving treatment under police surveillance. Haldankar, fellow patient Bipin Shere, and two on-duty constables died in the attack, which investigators say was staged to retaliate for the murder of Dawood's brother-in-law, Ibrahim Ismail Parkar, earlier that year.

Mansoor is accused of harboring the perpetrators, including Subhashsingh Thakur, Sunil Sawant, Brijesh Singh, and another individual named Pradhan, at his home and helping them flee. Initially listed as a wanted suspect, he was eventually apprehended in April 2018 after evading authorities for decades.

During court proceedings, Mansoor's defense counsel contended that the trial had stalled despite prior directives for a speedy resolution. The lawyer highlighted that no witnesses were questioned over an extended period spanning late 2025 and mid-2026, suggesting that the volume of remaining witnesses made a prompt conclusion improbable. His advanced age and existing health problems were also presented as justifications for granting bail under the argument that prolonged detention without significant trial advancement infringed upon his constitutional rights.

Special public prosecutor Sunil Gonsalves contested the release, citing the gravity of the multi-murder conspiracy and the strict provisions of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Prevention Act involved. The prosecution also noted Mansoor's history as an absconder and argued that the trial's delays stemmed in part from interconnected legal proceedings, supplementary charge sheets filed for other suspects, and defense requests to retake testimonies or utilize the statements of witnesses who have since passed away or gone missing.

Special Judge Satyanarayan Navander noted that while extended detention touches upon serious constitutional questions regarding speedy trials, the gravity of the circumstances did not justify releasing the accused. The judge emphasized that the right to a speedy trial must be actively upheld rather than treated as a formality, and consequently mandated that the trial proceed every Monday and Tuesday while urging full cooperation from both legal teams to wrap up the case as quickly as possible. Mansoor's earlier bail applications had previously been dismissed in September 2021, March 2024, and November 2025.