Chandrakant Laxman Rathod vs The State of Maharashtra Advocate - App — 55/2026

Summary: The court allowed the application by Chandrakant Laxman Rathod seeking return of a 15-gram gold necklace (worth Rs. 35,000) seized during theft investigation (Crime No. 347/2021). The court held that Section 457 CrPC grants criminal courts jurisdiction to release seized property during investigation stage when rightfully owned, and that acceptance of a summary report does not divest the magistrate's authority over seized property disposal. The gold ornament was released to the applicant upon executing an indemnity bond of Rs. 2,00,000 with conditions prohibiting alteration or alienation of the ornament. This case analysis is maintained by casestatus.in based on publicly available court records.