Thane Court Acquits Men Accused of Dacoity in Palghar Village

Thane district court in Maharashtra has acquitted four individuals from a village in Palghar who were accused in a dacoity case.

The Additional Sessions Judge, Premal S Vithalani, observed that the prosecution failed to establish the charges against the accused individuals: Gopal Lakhma Pachkudwa (58), Deepak Bandhu Navla (48), Sandeep Walku Khanzode (54), and Dashrath Ramu Khanzode (49).

According to the prosecution’s case, on May 1, 2009, a man was traveling on his motorcycle to Vikramgad when the accused intercepted his vehicle, assaulted him, and stole Rs 8,500 in cash and jewelry worth Rs 5,000.

In his order, the judge noted that there was a significant ditch at the location, and the defense argued that the victim’s injuries were a result of falling into the ditch. The order also highlighted a history of animosity between residents of the two villages to which both the accused and the victim belonged, including a quarrel a month or two before the incident.