Three Bangladeshi nationals have been sentenced by a local court to seven years in jail for planning to commit dacoity at a farm house here and illegally residing in India after they pleaded guilty to the offence.
Additional Sessions Judge Rajeev Bansal awarded the jail term to Rafiqul Islam, Mohammed Dalim and Mohammed Jafur who were natives of Bangladesh and are now residing in Delhi.
The court imposed a fine of Rs 300 on each of them noting that they belonged to the "poorest of poor" families.
It, however, said since the accused persons have already suffered custody for more than seven years, they be set at liberty if not required to be detained in any other case.
When the matter was listed for recoding of prosecution evidence, Islam, Dalim and Jafur said they wished to plead guilty for the offences after which the court convicted them under sections 402 (assembling for purpose of committing dacoity), 399 (making preparation to commit dacoity) of IPC.
They were also held guilty of possessing illegal arms under the Arms Act and for staying in India without permission or any documents under the Foreigners Act.
"I am satisfied that the plea of guilt of the accused persons is voluntarily and bonafide...
"There were six accused persons, who had assembled to make preparation to commit dacoity. All of them were apprehended at the spot with arms... All the accused persons are residents of Bangladesh and they were found in the territory of India without any permission or legal document," the judge said.
The other three accused claimed that they were juveniles at the time of the offence in 2007 and after the report of medical board, they were declared as minor and sent to juvenile justice board to face the proceedings.
According to the police, on August 7, 2007 on the basis of a tip-off, they reached at Green Avenue Road in South Delhi and apprehended six persons who were planning to commit a dacoity at the farmhouse and were possessing firearms.
On seeing the police, they tried to flee but were overpowered and arrested.
