Mumbai Sessions Court Acquits Bandra Man In 1988 Robbery Case, Citing Lack Of Witnesses
A Mumbai sessions court has acquitted a Bandra man in a 1988 robbery case after his arrest 37 years later, citing the absence of witnesses and lack of evidence. The court said the long passage of time made it impossible to prove the alleged crime.
Mumbai sessions court acquits a Bandra man in a 1988 robbery case after witnesses could not be traced | File Image
Mumbai, Dec 25: A man from Bandra has been acquitted by a sessions court in Mumbai after being booked in January 1988 for allegedly robbing a gold chain and ₹774 in cash, with a total value of ₹2,274. The arrest occurred 37 years later, but the court dismissed the case as the police were unable to locate any witnesses.
Prosecution Alleges Robbery at Dadar Station Foot Overbridge
According to the prosecution, on January 16, 1988, around 10 pm, two men threatened Sudhakar Lad and Ashok Patil, hawkers working on the Dadar railway station foot overbridge, with a razor and a knife. They demanded money and snatched Lad’s gold chain.
The accused, Nafis Shaikh and Noor Shaikh Ibrahim, were reportedly collecting contributions for pooja from local hawkers. Lad and Patil allegedly lost ₹284 and ₹490, respectively, along with the gold chain. While Shaikh escaped from the scene, Ibrahim was caught by the public and later taken to the police station.
One Accused Tried and Acquitted in 1989
Shaikh was arrested on February 12, 1988, and released on bail over a year later, in February 1989, after which he could not be located for decades. Consequently, only Ibrahim faced trial. After recording testimony from 11 witnesses, Ibrahim was acquitted in September 1989.
Second Arrest Made Decades Later
When Shaikh was finally arrested on November 27, 2025, the prosecution faced a major obstacle: none of the original witnesses could be traced. The court noted that in a city as large and mobile as Mumbai, the absence of eyewitnesses meant the robbery could not be established.
No panch or police witnesses were available, and recovery of the stolen items was unproven. The court further observed that even the arrest of the accused could not be verified.
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Passage of Time Proves Fatal to Prosecution Case
Due to these evidentiary gaps, the sessions court acquitted Shaikh, highlighting how the passage of time and lack of witnesses made it impossible to sustain the case, even after more than three decades.
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