2015 kidnapping case: Don Babloo Srivastava acquitted, 8 others sentenced

Special judge acquits underworld don Babloo Srivastava in 2015 kidnapping case; sentences 8 others. Vikalp Srivastava gets 6.5 years in jail.

The special judge (Gangsters Act) on Friday acquitted underworld don Om Prakash Srivastava alias Babloo Srivastava in connection with a case of kidnapping of a jeweller Pankaj Mahindra for ransom in 2015 but convicted and awarded sentences to other eight accused in the case.

During the investigation, the names of Babloo Srivastava and others surfaced and a chargesheet was filed against them. (For Representation)

Babloo Srivastava is at present lodged in Bareilly jail. The court also acquitted one of Babloo’s nephews Sankalp Srivastava in the kidnapping case but convicted another nephew Vikalp Srivastava in the same case and awarded him a jail term for six-and-a-half years.

Special Judge Vinod Kumar Chaurasia convicted Vikalp Srivastava, Sachchidanand, Mahendra Yadav and Chandra Mohan Yadav and sentenced them to jail for six-and-a-half years.

Besides, the court awarded five- year jail term to four other accused in the case namely Vineet Parihar, Sandeep Chaudhary, Rakesh Singh and Bholu alias Abhishek Yadav. Babloo Srivastava was presented before the court through videoconferencing.

According to district government counsel (criminal) Gulab Chandra Agrahari and special public prosecutor Ramendra Pratap Singh, who represented prosecution side, bullion trader Pankaj Mahindra of Prayagraj was kidnapped from the city on September 5, 2015 and a ransom of ₹10 crore was demanded by the kidnappers for his release.

An FIR in this connection was lodged by Pankaj Mahindra’s brother at Kotwali police station of Prayagraj. Subsequently, Pankaj Mahindra was rescued by a team of STF from a farm house in Fatehpur district located under Sothar police station.

During the investigation, the names of Babloo Srivastava and others surfaced and a chargesheet was filed against them.