Thane, Oct 9 A special court in Maharashtra's Thane has acquitted two men accused of chain snatching and running an organised crime syndicate, citing the police’s failure to establish the identity of the perpetrators and procedural lapses during investigation.
Special Judge V G Mohite on Thursday cleared Rijwan Ismail Shaikh and Mahammad Alam Aslam Qureshi of robbery charges under the Indian Penal Code and provisions of the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) in connection with the 2022 chain-snatching incident.
According to the prosecution, on May 22, 2022, the victim and her husband were walking in the Khadakpada Circle area of Kalyan West when two motorcycle-borne men, who wore helmets, snatched her gold chain and fled. A first information report (FIR) was registered at Mahatma Phule Chowk Police Station.
Following their arrest in another case, the police linked Shaikh and Qureshi to multiple chain-snatching offences, invoked MCOCA provisions, and claimed to have recovered the stolen ornament through a jeweller.
The judge noted that the prosecution witnesses had not properly seen the faces of the robbers, as they had worn helmets, and that the police had not conducted a test identification parade during the investigation.
The court also rejected the validity of the confessional statement recorded by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), holding that the mandatory statutory period of 24 hours was not afforded to the accused to reconsider.
The court ordered the immediate release of both accused from jail.
