Mumbai, June 29: A special court under the Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MCOCA) last week sentenced a 38-year-old to ten years imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs. 10 lakhs on him for attacking a man with another accomplice, for not paying ‘hafta’, that had resulted in head injury and the victim losing a part of his right ear.
The provisions of MCOCA were invoked on Vikramsingh Rajput as probe found that he was involved in a number of cases, some of which were for extortion. His accomplice Kalya Pappu had been convicted in the case in 2016. Rajput who was absconding, had come to be arrested in November 2016.
On 7 April, 2014, the victim was sitting near a public toilet in Bainganwadi, Govandi and the Pappu and Rajput, were sitting nearby. Pappu, who is said to be heading the syndicate, told the informant that he is making a lot of money in his footwear and illegal electricity business and must pay ‘hafta’ of Rs. 10,000 to them. When he refused, both attacked him with a tile. He suffered head injury and a part of his right ear had to be amputated.
While concluding that Rajput was guilty for being a member of an organized crime syndicate headed by Kalya, Special judge DE Kothalikar considered that two extortion offences were registered against Kalya at Shivaji Nagar police station. Further, a police officer had deposed that while he was probing an offence registered against Rajput in 2008, he had found that Rajput was involved in a murder case of 2004.
The court found Rajput guilty of attempt to murder under the IPC as he and Kalya inflicted blows on the head of the informant and that the blow was such that part of his ear had to be amputated.
