Court acquits four men accused of robbery 33 years ago

The four men were accused of stealing ₹1 lakh in cash from a jeweller in December 1992. They had been absconding since then, before Izaz Shaikh was caught by the police in March

MUMBAI: The sessions court on Wednesday acquitted a 52-year-old man arrested in March for a robbery nearly 33 years ago, while also discharging his three alleged accomplices, who were never caught, due to the lack of evidence against them.

Court acquits four men accused of robbery 33 years ago

The four men were accused of stealing ₹1 lakh in cash from a jeweller in December 1992. They had been absconding since then, before Izaz Shaikh was caught by the police in March.

According to the police, the complainant, the son of a jeweller, was on his way to his father’s shop on Bangalipara Street in Mumbai with ₹1 lakh in cash on a two-wheeler. When he reached the Bhendi Bazaar junction, two men allegedly kicked his two-wheeler down and threatened him with a revolver. Two other men picked up the fallen two-wheeler and rode away with the cash, the police said.

Following this, a case was registered at the Pydhonie police station, where the four men were booked. None of them were caught until March this year, when Shaikh was eventually arrested.

However, during the trial on Wednesday, the additional sessions judge, Satyarayan Navander, observed that the prosecution could not present incriminating evidence against the accused. The court acquitted Shaikh and discharged the other three accused--Farooq Shaikh, Anwar Shaikh, and Jafar Khan--who are still absconding.

“It is necessary to note that the incident occurred more than 33 years ago in the year 1992. After such a long gap, the prosecution can’t secure any further evidence, especially in a city like Mumbai, which has a high mobility rate,” the court noted while closing the case.