Paonta Sahib: 2 get jail for 2015 theft of mid-day meal utensils from Sainwala school

Nearly a decade after a seemingly minor theft disrupted a government school’s mid-day meal scheme in Sainwala, justice has finally been delivered. A local court in Paonta Sahib has sentenced two accused — Akshay, alias Boda, and Arjun, both residents of Majra — to five years of imprisonment and a fine of Rs 7,000.

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The case dates back to November 2015, when the then headmaster of Government Senior Secondary School, Sainwala, lodged a complaint at the Majra police outpost. He reported that kitchen utensils used for preparing mid-day meals had been stolen from the school premises during the previous night.

Acting on the complaint, the police launched an investigation. While patrolling near the Matak Majri road, officers stopped and searched two men who were carrying a white sack. Inside were the stolen utensils, later positively identified by the headmaster as school property.

The prosecution, led by Assistant District Attorney Gaurav Sharma, presented testimonies from nine witnesses, which played a crucial role in strengthening the case. After examining the evidence and hearing the arguments, Judge Vikas Gupta of the Court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate No. 1, Paonta Sahib, pronounced the verdict.

The court found both accused — Akshay and Arjun — guilty under Section 457 of the Indian Penal Code (house-breaking by night) and sentenced them to five years in prison and a fine of Rs 5,000. In addition, they were convicted under Section 380 (theft in a dwelling house) and given an additional three-year sentence along with a Rs 2,000 fine.

While the crime may have appeared minor at first glance, the court’s ruling underscores the seriousness with which theft of public property — especially one affecting children’s welfare — is treated under law.