E-Paper
Panchkula: Nine get 7-year RI for 2014 jewellery heist
Man who received ₹1.53-crore-worth jewellery from the robbers awarded five-year term; two others acquitted of the charges
Seven years after they looted jewellery worth ₹1.53 crore from a shop in Panchkula, nine men have been awarded seven-year rigourous imprisonment by a local court.
An accused who received the stolen jewellery from them was awarded five-year jail while two other men were acquitted of the charges. Another accomplice died during trial.
It was on July 13, 2014, when the men had struck at Rajat Jewellers in Swastik Vihar, Mansa Devi Complex, Sector 5, and orchestrated the robbery at gunpoint in broad daylight .
The shop owner, Ashi Khanna, had told police that a youth wearing a helmet and gloves was the first to enter the shop and point a pistol at his forehead. As Khanna resisted, the youth hit him on his head.
Thereafter, more youths with masked faces entered the shop wielding pistols and sharp-edged weapons. They hit the owner and workers, threw chilli powder in their eyes and tied their hands and face with clothes before fleeing with the jewellery, stated the FIR.
They even took Khanna’s car keys from the counter. The car was later recovered from Zirakpur. A case was registered the same day.
It was with the help of their counterparts in Punjab that the local police managed to get hold of the robbers. In March 2015, seven men arrested for a crime in Punjab confessed to their role in the Panchkula heist. They jewellery was also recovered thereafter.
The convicts
Holding 10 of the 13 accused guilty, additional sessions judge Hukam Singh pronounced the quantum of sentence on Tuesday.
Surender Pal Singh, Ranpreet Singh, Parminder Singh, Manpreet Singh, Joginder Singh, Harvinder, Gurjant, Narender and Butta Gir have been convicted under Sections 397 (robbery, or dacoity, with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code and awarded seven-year rigorous imprisonment. They have also been directed to pay a fine of ₹22,000 each.
Harjeet Singh, who accepted the stolen jewellery, will have to serve a five-year jail term and pay ₹5,000 after being convicted under Section 412 (dishonestly receiving property stolen in the commission of a dacoity) of the IPC. While Sanjay Maratha and Balbir, who were also accused of receiving the jewellery, were acquitted as prosecution could not prove the allegations, another accused, Gulshan, died in February this year.
