Two get eight years jail in robbery case

Incidents of robbery are "swelling" at an alarming rate in the national capital, a Delhi court has observed while awarding eight years jail to two persons for trespassing a house and robbing two women of jewellery and cash.
Declining to show leniency, Additional Sessions Judge Manoj Jain said a message was required to be sent to desist people from committing such crimes.
"Undoubtedly, such incidents of robbery are swelling at an alarming rate in capital city. A message, actually, needs to percolate so that any such person, having puckish plans to commit robbery, thinks twice before indulging in any such despicable act," the court said while awarding eight years jail term to Sheikh Mofizul and Sheikh Shahdat.

The judge also expressed unhappiness over the police's imprudent act of showing third accused Fazer Ali to witnesses even before his arrest leading to his acquittal.
"Though the testimony of both the material witnesses also raise clear-cut accusing finger towards the involvement of accused Fazer Ali yet I have no option but to give him benefit of doubt because of imprudent act of the police whereby they grabbed judicial powers and showed Ali to the witnesses much before he was even arrested in this case," the court said.
With a "heavy heart", it granted benefit of doubt to Ali and acquitted him of all the charges.

The two men were convicted for the offences including, house-breaking by night, robbery, robbery with an attempt to cause death or grievous hurt and dishonestly receiving stolen property.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs 12,000 and Rs 10,000 on Mofizul and Shahdat respectively.
According to the prosecution, on the intervening night of September 17-18, 2011, three accused armed with knives entered the house of complainant Malti in Adarsh Nagar in north west Delhi and fourth person had taken position at the door.
The three accused threatened the woman at knife point and asked her to handover her gold ornaments. They also robbed the woman's daughter who had come there along with her kids, it said.