Thane court acquits 3 accused in dacoity case

Thane, Jul 1 (PTI) A court in Maharashtra’s Thane district has acquitted three persons in a 2010 case of kidnapping and dacoity, giving them the benefit of doubt.

Additional Sessions Judge AN Sirsikar, in the order passed on June 18, held that the prosecution failed to prove any of the charges against the three accused, in the age group of 43 to 47 years.

A copy of the order was made available on Monday.

The prosecution told the court that on December 3, 2010, a man was returning home on a motorbike when his vehicle brushed against a car near a hospital in Thane.

The car’s five occupants got down, kidnapped the man and took him in their vehicle to Vitawa. They threatened the man and snatched away a gold chain of Rs 18,000 and Rs 8,000 cash from him, the prosecution said.

Defence counsels DL Thamke and Swati Chitnis contested the charges and punched holes in the prosecution case.

The accused, who were arrested after the incident, were charged under Indian Penal Code sections 363 (kidnapping) and 395 (dacoity).

In his order, the judge noted that the informant, unfamiliar with the accused, did not undergo an identification parade post-arrest.

The evidence, recorded after a 13-year delay, lacked clarity on how the three accused were identified. Contradictory witness statements and lack of corroboration further undermined the case, the court said.

The recovery of stolen items was deemed inconclusive due to the absence of identification marks and delayed recovery, it said.

The court acquitted the accused due to insufficient evidence, particularly noting the informant’s testimony as inadequate for establishing their identity.