Six acquitted in robbery case

Mumbai, Nov 19 (UNI) A local court today acquitted six people, who were arrested for robbing a goods train driver and his assistant near Kings Circle Railway signal in August last year, due to lack of evidence.

Pronouncing the judgement here, Additional Session Court Judge M R Deshpande acquitted all the six people from all charges, owing to contradiction in the names of the accused. They had allegedly robbed a goods train driver Bhanwarlal Ramswarup and his assistant as the train halted at a signal near Kings Circle railway station and threatened them with a chopper.

The prosecution failed to prove charges levelled against them during the trial.

According to the defence advocate, in the wee hours of August 17, last year, the driver started the goods train laden with coal from Kurla. Within few minutes, he halted the train between Kings Circle station and Mahim at around 0225 hrs, because of the signal.

Bhanwarlal said in his deposition that six men then jumped into the engine driver's compartment from the right hand side. He thought they were railway workers looking to be dropped somewhere.

However, one of them kept a chopper on his neck and asked him to hand over all his belongings.

Bhanwarlal's assistant was similarly threatened and the robbers decamped with a gold ring, watch and cash. The total value of the loot was Rs 17,000.

He then lodged a complaint with Wadala railway police and six men were zeroed in.

Bhanwarlal had told the court that a man called Peeraswamy, his assistant named Azad Ansari were the culprits. Owing to this contradiction, the court held that the prosecution had not been able to establish the role played by the accused and acquitted all of them.

UNI ST SR SKB KN1950