Retired Justice Abhay Mahadeo Thipsay’s transfer to the Allahabad High Court in May 2016 came soon after he granted bail to actor Salman Khan in the hit-and-run case, and barely 10 months before his retirement.
He also granted bail to Gujarat Deputy Inspector General D.G. Vanzara and Dr. Narendra Amin, two accused in the alleged fake encounter of Sohrabuddin Sheikh, his wife Kausar Bi and aide Tulsiram Prajapati in Gujarat. Mr. Thipsay has also presided over the contentious 2002 Best Bakery, Baroda, case which was transferred to Mumbai.
In this case, he convicted nine of the 17 accused. He has also granted bail to detainees under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act. He was outspoken at the time a media gag order was issued last November by special CBI Judge S.J. Sharma in the ongoing Sohrabuddin trial.
ADVERTISEMENT
Mr. Thipsay joined the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa in 1979 and was appointed Metropolitan Magistrate in 1987. He was made Principal District and Sessions judge, Jalgaon, in December 2007.
He was appointed special MCOCA judge and elevated to the Bombay High Court as Additional Judge on March 17, 2011. He was transferred to Allahabad High Court where he took oath on May, 2016 and retired in March 2017.