4 hrs ago
Thane Court Acquits Two Men in MCOCA Chain-Snatching Case
A woman’s gold chain was taken by two people riding a motorcycle in Kalyan West in 2022.
Police later accused two men, Rijwan Ismail Shaikh and Mahammad Alam Aslam Qureshi, of being involved.
Prosecutors said the men were connected to the incident and that the chain had been recovered through a jeweller.
The court said witnesses had not clearly seen the robbers’ faces because they wore helmets.
Police also had not arranged a test identification parade.
The judge said the accused were not given the required 24 hours to reconsider their confession.
The court found the case had not been properly established and acquitted both men.
It ordered that they be released from jail immediately.
A special court in Thane acquitted Rijwan Ismail Shaikh and Mahammad Alam Aslam Qureshi of robbery and MCOCA charges.
The case concerned a gold-chain snatching reported in Kalyan West on May 22, 2022.
Prosecutors said the men were linked to the incident after their arrests in another case and claimed the stolen ornament was recovered through a jeweller.
The judge found that helmet-wearing perpetrators had not been properly identified and that police had not held a test identification parade.
The court also found the accused had not received the required 24-hour period to reconsider their recorded confession and ordered their immediate release.
- Who
- Rijwan Ismail Shaikh and Mahammad Alam Aslam Qureshi were acquitted; the victim was a woman walking with her husband.
- What
- The court acquitted the two men of robbery and MCOCA charges in a chain-snatching case.
- Where
- The incident was reported near Khadakpada Circle in Kalyan West; the special court was in Thane, Maharashtra.
- When
- The chain-snatching was reported to have occurred on May 22, 2022; the acquittal was reported on October 9, with the year not specified.
- Why
- The judge cited failure to establish the perpetrators’ identities and procedural lapses, including no test identification parade and insufficient time to reconsider the confession.
Prosecution allegations
Court’s findings
Link to the chain snatching
Prosecution allegations
Police linked the two men to multiple chain-snatching offences after arresting them in another case; prosecutors said the stolen ornament was recovered through a jeweller.
Court’s findings
The judge found the prosecution had not established the perpetrators’ identities, noting that witnesses had not properly seen the helmet-wearing robbers and that no test identification parade was held.
Confessional statement
Prosecution allegations
The prosecution relied on a confession recorded by a Deputy Commissioner of Police.
Court’s findings
The court held the confession invalid because the accused were not given the mandatory 24 hours to reconsider it.
Key facts
- Incident date
- May 22, 2022
- Incident location
- Khadakpada Circle area, Kalyan West
- Accused
- Rijwan Ismail Shaikh and Mahammad Alam Aslam Qureshi
- Charges
- Robbery under the Indian Penal Code and provisions of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA)
- Court
- Special court in Thane; Special Judge V G Mohite
- Key identification issue
- The alleged robbers wore helmets, witnesses had not properly seen their faces, and police did not conduct a test identification parade.
- Outcome
- Both men were acquitted and ordered released from jail immediately.
Sources
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