India, Aug. 21 -- The Bombay High Court has granted bail to engineer Abhishek Vilas Balkawade after nearly 33 months in custody in a Nashik mephedrone case, observing that the prosecution had failed to establish his identity and that the case appeared prima facie to involve "mistaken identity".

Justice Milind N Jadhav passed the order on August 18 in connection with a case registered in 2023 at Nashik Road Police Station under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. Drug dealer Lalit Patil is also an accused in the case.

The case relates to the alleged recovery of mephedrone from a Nashik godown in October 2023. The prosecution claimed Balkawade was the person referred to as "Sanjay Kale" in material concerning the premises....