Two youths get 3 yrs in jail for snatching chain

A Delhi court has sentenced two youths to three years in jail for snatching a woman's chain and injuring her, observing that they didn't deserve leniency due to gravity of offence.
Metropolitan magistrate Ashok Kumar handed down the jail term to south Delhi residents Harish and Vikas for their offence in the busy hours in a crowded market here and held them guilty of voluntarily causing hurt while committing robbery under section 394 of the IPC.
"In my view convicts do not deserve too much leniency and sentencing them merely up to the period undergone by them would be overlooking the gravity of the offence.

"I am not in favour of releasing them on probation as such offences are increasing day by day in alarming numbers and deterrent effect must be shown to prospective evil elements. Their conduct in snatching the golden colour chain in daylight and causing hurt to the woman shows they have no fear of law," the magistrate said, while also imposing a fine of Rs 9,000 each on them.
According to the prosecution, on September 22, 2012, the duo snatched an artificial chain worn by the woman, near INA colony and in that process they hurt her in the neck.
When two police constables, who were on patrolling duty, saw the accused snatching the chain from the woman, they ran towards the duo but they fled on their motorcycle. However, they were apprehended by the police after being chased to a distance, it said.

While convicting the youths on the basis of testimonies of the two police constables, the court said, "It is a settled law that even testimony of police witness, if it sounds credible, can be relied upon to base conviction."
It noted that during the trial the complainant and her husband who were material witnesses could not be examined as the summons sent to them, even through the DCP concerned were returned with a report of untraced.
Rejecting the contention of the accused that the victim and her husband, who were key witnesses, did not appear in court even once during the trial, the court said, "It is a settled law that even the testimony of police witness, if it sounds credible, can be relied upon to base conviction".