Court Verdict: Convictions for House Trespass and Assault

In a notable court ruling, two men were convicted of house trespass and outraging modesty after intruding into a Kalwa residence and assaulting a man in an extortion attempt. They were acquitted of extortion and MCOCA charges.

On May 9th, the court sentenced Ganesh Rangnath Shinde and Ankush Suryakant Gawand to imprisonment equivalent to the time already served. Shinde had been in custody for over six years, while Gawand was detained for nearly two years. The judge also fined them Rs. 2,000 per offence, directing Rs. 5,000 as compensation to the complainant's widow.

While the court relied heavily on witness testimonies, it criticized the police for failing to secure CCTV footage, thus weakening their claim of an organized crime syndicate. The investigation's shortcomings were brought into sharp focus during the trial, highlighting the need for more robust evidence collection.

(With inputs from agencies.)