Ajay Kotala Gawade vs State of Maharashtra Through PSO Etapalli Advocate - DGP/AGP — 24/2026

Case Summary: Cri.Bail Appln. No. 24/2026 Court Decision: The court granted bail to Ajay Kotla Gawade, accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl, finding the relationship consensual despite the victim's minor status. Key Reasoning: The judge determined that the victim's delayed disclosure (6+ months), her written no-objection to bail, her "sufficient maturity," and the absence of evidence of force/violence indicated consensual relations rather than rape. The court applied precedent permitting leniency in consensual love-affair cases involving young couples, releasing the accused on ₹50,000 bond with conditions not to threaten the victim or her parents and to attend trial. This case analysis is maintained by casestatus.in based on publicly available court records.