Udupi: The Udupi sessions court has given 15 days' conditional bail to Nandalike Niranjan Bhat, 30, the accused in the murder of businessman Bhaskar Shetty. Bhat had been in prison for four years, unable to get bail.

His father Srinivas Bhat, who had been accused of destroying evidence of the case, died of ill-health on June 22. Since Niranjan Bhat is the only son of Srinivas Bhat, he had requested for conditional bail to conduct the last rites of his father.

Justice C M Joshi, Udupi district and sessions judge, has granted Bhat bail. While the District Magistrate's court granted bail on June 24. The court has ordered that Bhat submit a bond of Rs 5 lakh for the conditional bail, appear in court, and submit himself to judicial custody on July 7.

Bhat, who is currently in the Parappana Agrahara Jail, Bengaluru, is likely to be released on conditional bail on June 25, said sources.

Bhat has been accused of murdering Bhaskar Shetty along with his wife and son at his house in Indrali on July 28, 2016, before burning the bodies. The police arrested him on August 8, 2016. Bhat had tried to kill himself by swallowing his diamond ring and earrings.

Srinivas Bhat and Raghavendra had been arrested on August 11, 2016, for the destruction of evidence of the case. The Udupi District and Sessions Court had granted them bail on October 1, 2016.

Srinivas Bhat, who had been suffering from ill-health for some years, failed to present himself for the hearings. The court had rejected Niranjan Bhat's plea for a month's bail to take care of his father on August 9, 2019, but has granted him conditional bail after four years.

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Mumbai, Mar 14 (PTI): Veteran actor-filmmaker Deb Mukherjee, father of director Ayan Mukerji, passed away due to prolonged illness on Friday morning at his residence in suburban Mumbai. He was 83.

“We are deeply saddened to inform you of the passing of Mr. Debu Mukherjee, an actor and driving force of the North Bombay Durga Puja. He left us this morning,” a statement issued by his representative said.

His last rites were performed at the Pawan Hans Crematorium in Juhu in suburban Mumbai.

In the 1960s and 1970s, Mukherjee appeared in supporting roles in films like “Tu Hi Meri Zindagi”, “Abhinetri”, “Do Aankhen”, “Baton Baton Mein”, “Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander”, “King Uncle”, and “Kaminey”. He also directed and produced the 1983 movie "Karate", starring Mithun Chakraborty, Kaajal Kiran, and Yogeeta Bali.

Mukherjee was part of the famous Samarth-Mukherjee family. He was the father-in-law of Ashutosh Gowariker and uncle of Bollywood actors Kajol and Rani Mukerji.

His mother, Satidevi, was the only sister of Ashok Kumar, Anup Kumar, and Kishore Kumar. His brothers were popular actor and filmmaker Joy Mukherjee and filmmaker Shomu Mukherjee, who married Bollywood actor Tanuja (mother of Kajol).

Mukherjee was married twice; his daughter Sunita from his first marriage is married to director Gowariker, and Ayan is his son from his second marriage.

Several family members and close friends, including Kajol, Rani Mukerji, Jaya Bachchan, Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor, Hrithik Roshan, and others, paid their last respects.