Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The District and Sessions Court, Bhopal, has acquitted Shaif Ali Irani in a gold chain loot case on the ground that the prosecution could not exhibit entire looted chain. Only a part of the looted chain, which was recovered from the accused, was submitted as evidence in the court. ADJ Sanjay Agrawal passed the order.
Shaif Ali Irani hails from the Irani Dera
In 2020, two bike-borne youths had snatched a gold chain from retired principal Sushma Thosar, resident of E-7, Arera Colony in morning hours when she was plucking flowers.
She raised an alarm and her grand –children came out. She informed the Habibgaj police that on November 29, 2020, two bike-borne youths asked her about the address of some Deepu.
She refused to identify Deepu. In the meantime, a youth snatched her 2-tola chain and both disappeared. Shaif Ali Irani and Arif Shah alias Goldi, both 20-25 years old, were arrested on the basis of CCTV camera footage and part of the gold chain was recovered from their possession.
Advocate Jagdish Gupta, who appeared on behalf of Shaif Ali Irani, said, “ The seized article has not been produced before the trial court to get the property identified by the complainant.
Hence, on record, there is no substantial piece of evidence with regard to identification of the property as stolen which was recovered from the possession of the applicant. In view of the circumstances, the conviction and sentence cannot be upheld. So benefit of doubt was given in favour of Shaif Irani and court the acquitted him.”
