Five men get 7-yr-jail term for dacoity of over Rs 24L in bank

A Delhi court has awarded seven years of rigorous imprisonment to five persons for looting around Rs 24 lakh from the State Bank of Bikaner & Jaipur here in 2008.
Additional Sessions Judge Rajesh Kumar Goel sentenced Mannan, Baljinder and three Delhi residents Pappu, Amit and Sat Prakash for committing dacoity of Rs 23,78,500 from the bank as soon as it opened on November 17, 2008.
The court relied on the statements of witnesses including bank staff who identified the accused during the Test Identification Parade (TIP) to bring home the guilt of all the accused.
After going through the depositions of witnesses, the court said, "It stands proved that on November 17, 2008, dacoity took place in SBBJ branch situated at Bawana Road, Delhi."

While holding that the prosecution was able to prove that accused were involved in the commission of crime, the court rejected their claim of false implication.
"Accused persons have miserably failed to explain as to why witnesses would depose falsely against them in respect of their identification and will implicate them in a case of dacoity," it said.

The court awarded jail term to convict Pappu, Mannan and Amit Sat Prakash and Baljinder for offences under section 395 (dacoity) of IPC and Arms Act.
According to police, the dacoity took place in SBBJ branch in Badli Industrial Area at Bawana Road here, whereby an amount of Rs 23,78,500 was looted.

It said that assailants armed with pistols thrashed the bank staff and customers while committing the offence and also snatched their mobile phones.
After looting cash, the accused pushed the bank staff and the customers inside the strong room and bolted its main door and ran away, it said.
The accused were later arrested in different cases and on interrogation confessed to their involvement in the dacoity.
However, during trial the accused pleaded not guilty and claimed trial.