Year on, accused walks free in snatching case

A local court has acquitted a Dera Bassi resident arrested in a snatching case after the prosecution failed to prove the charges against him.

On a complaint of one Bhulan Singh, the police had registered a case against Raju. The complainant had stated that on June 6 last year, he was going to the Fruit and Vegetable Market in Sector 26 when two persons on a motorcycle approached him near Emporium Mall City around 7.45 am and enquired about some address.

In the meantime, the driver alighted from the bike and snatched Rs 7,000 and Aadhaar card from his pocket. Thereafter, the persons fled on the bike. He could not note down the registration number of the motorcycle.

During the course of investigation, the accused was arrested on the identification of the complainant and stolen Aadhaar card and currency notes were allegedly recovered from him.

A challan was presented in the court. Finding prima facie case, charges were framed for the commission of offences punishable under Section 379A and 411 of the Indian Penal Code to which the accused pleaded not guilty and claimed trial.

The counsel for the accused argued that Raju was falsely implicated in the case.

He said the complainant was not known to the accused previously nor he had given physical description of the snatcher in his complaint. No test identification parade was conducted by the police and he was unable to reveal the number, make and colour of the motorcycle allegedly used in the crim.

However, the public prosecutor argued that the prosecution had proved the case beyond a shadow of doubt .

After hearing of the arguments, the court acquitted the accused.

Chandigarh