Seven of ‘Kaala Kacha’ gang acquitted of robbery

Tribune News Service

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Chandigarh, March 31

The court of Additional District and Sessions Judge KK Kareer, sentenced four members of a seven-member ‘Kaala Kaccha’ gang to one year, 3 months, imprisonment for possessing stolen items. The gang had struck at a retired DGP farmhouse last year. However, all the seven members of the gang were acquitted of the charges of robbery.

As per the prosecution case, the UT police in August 2014 arrested seven persons — Raj Kumar and Jagga (both 50 years old), residents of Dheha Basti in Barwala; 27-year-old Birju, a resident of Dheha village in Banur and at present residing at Dheha Basti, Ambala; 30-year-old Bhalu, a resident of Basti Handesra in Mohali, 50-year-old Shamu and 35-year-old Raju, residents of Dheha Basti in Ambala, and 29-years-old Bittu, a resident of Barwala, claiming them to be members of the Kala Kacha gang in connection of the robbery at Bhullar Farms in Khuda Lahora.

The court today acquitted all seven members of Kala Kachha gang of the charges of committing robbery as the two eyewitness failed to identify the accused.

However, the court awarded 15 months imprisonment to Birju, Bittu, Raj Kumar and Jagga, and imposed Rs 2,000 fine each on them as the police had recovered stolen items from them.

The gang had struck at three farm houses in Khuda Lahora and Mullanpur on the intervening night of July 24 and 25, 2014.

The gang members were arrested by the Mohali police from an abandoned factory in Dera Bassi on August 5 and later the UT police had brought the accused on production warrants to Chandigarh.

The gang had stuck in Chandigarh after targeting two farmhouses in Mullanpur. The farmhouse is owned by Punjab Police DGP (retd) Dalbir Singh Bhullar.

The incident occurred at 3 am on July 24, 2014, when the gang knocked at the farmhouse and attacked Gian Singh with sticks as he opened the door. Gian Singh resisted the attack and caught hold of the stick when another assailant hit the stick on his head from the rear. The robbers then beat him up and fractured both his arms and he sustained severe head injuries. Gian is admitted at the Advance Trauma Centre of the PGI and is in an unconscious state.

After attacking Gian they took away his gold bracelet and then targeted the couple who were staying on rent in a room in the basement at the farmhouse.

They beat up Babloo and his wife Mamta. They robbed Bablu of his watch and then asked his wife to part with whatever jewellery she had.

“It is held that the prosecution has failed to prove the charges under Section 397 of the IPC and has also failed to prove the charges under Section 411 of the IPC against Raju, Bhallu and Shamu. Therefore, all the accused are acquitted of the charges under Section 397 of the IPC while accused Birju, Raj Kumar, Jagga and Bittu are convicted for receiving stolen property under Section 411 of the IPC,” said the court.