Woman's Gold Chain Worth Rs 1.50 Lakh Snatched in Bandhgari; Co-Accused Zafar Khan Acquitted Due to Lack of Evidence
Ranchi: A court in Ranchi has delivered a stern verdict in a chain-snatching case, sentencing the main accused, Deepak Mahto, to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment along with a total fine of Rs 5.15 lakh. Additional Judicial Commissioner-XII Pawan Kumar pronounced the verdict in connection with the chain-snatching incident that took place near Bandhgari (NH-33) under Sadar Police Station limits on October 2, 2024. The second accused, Zafar Khan alias Shahid Khan, was acquitted after being given the benefit of doubt due to insufficient evidence.
According to the prosecution, the incident occurred at around 8 pm on October 2, 2024, when Reena Kumari was returning with her husband, Amit Kumar Singh, after purchasing puja items from Bandhgari market. As they approached their motorcycle, three criminals arrived on a black Pulsar motorcycle from the Kokar Chowk side. The person riding pillion suddenly snatched a gold chain worth approximately Rs 1.50 lakh from Reena Kumari's neck. During the incident, she sustained injuries to her neck due to the forceful pulling and fell on the road. The criminals fled towards Booty More. Before they escaped, the victim and her husband managed to note the last three digits of the motorcycle's registration number as 470.
During the trial, the court examined the testimony of the victim Reena Kumari (P.W.-2), her husband Amit Kumar Singh (P.W.-3) and the investigating officers. On the basis of the evidence presented by the prosecution, Deepak Mahto was convicted. The court awarded him 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 5 lakh under Section 111(2)(b) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Under Section 304(2) read with Section 3(5), he was sentenced to three years of rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 10,000. Under Section 115(2) read with Section 3(5), he received one year of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 5,000. Additional imprisonment has also been prescribed in case of non-payment of the respective fines.
The court directed that all sentences would run concurrently and that the period already spent in custody during the trial would be adjusted against the sentence. Out of the total fine of Rs 5.15 lakh, Rs 1 lakh will be paid to the victim, Reena Kumari, as compensation, while the remaining Rs 4.15 lakh will be deposited with the Prosecution Cell. The verdict is being viewed as a strong message against criminals involved in chain-snatching and similar offences targeting women.
