2008 Theft Case: Thane Court Acquits 3 Persons Charged Under MCOCA

A court in Mumbai’s Thane district has recently acquitted 3 persons accused of a theft in 2008 and charged under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, giving them the benefit of doubt.

In the order passed on November 1, special MCOCA court judge Amit M Shete held that the prosecution that has failed to prove the charges against the 3 accused, Shabbir Haroon Shaikh (34), Mahesh Anand Hegade (44) and Aana @ Anwar Rashid Shaikh (30).

The prosecutor told the court that accused allegedly broke into a general store in Naupada area of Thane city between December 27 and 29, 2008 and stole goods from the shop.

The prosecution stated, they were habitual criminals and hence also booked under the MCOCA.

However, the counsels for the accused, contested the charges and punched holes in the prosecution theory.

The judge in his order stated that the prosecution failed to produce on record any corroborative material in order to show that the accused have, in fact, committed the crime.

The prosecution story is based on circumstantial evidence. The court stated that the investigation officers failed to collect material to establish the chain of circumstances so as to prove the guilt of the accused.

The judge stated, in view of the failure to prove the charges under the IPC, the accused are also required to be given benefit for the offence punishable under the MCOCA.

The trial against a 4th accused in the case has been separated as he is still at large.

Meanwhile, a 10-year-old boy died after falling into a bucket filled with water at his house in Navi Mumbai.

The incident took place on Saturday evening when the boy was playing near the water-filled bucket in the house located at Palaspe village in Panvel area.

He accidentally fell into the bucket and started choking, an official from Panvel town police station stated quoting the information given by the boy’s parents.

The official stated, the boy was then rushed to a nearby hospital where doctors declared him brought dead.

The police sent the body to a government hospital for postmortem and registered a case of accidental death.