23-yr-old gets five-year rigorous imprisonment for snatching

The Court of Sessions Judge Harpreet Kaur Randhawa has sentenced Pankaj Kumar, a 23-year-old resident of Dashmesh Nagar, Ayali Khurd, Ludhiana, to five years of rigorous imprisonment in a case of mobile phone snatching. The court also imposed a fine of ?10,000 on the convict.

According to the prosecution, on July 8, 2022, ASI Paramjit Singh, along with other police officials, was patrolling in the area of Ashapuri Chowk, Ludhiana. He received a tip-off that the accused, habitual in committing snatching incidents, was standing near the cremation ground on Barewal Road, looking for a customer to sell a stolen mobile phone.

Acting on information, the police registered an FIR and raided the location. Upon seeing the police, Pankaj attempted to flee but was apprehended. A search led to the recovery of one mobile phone from his possession. Subsequently, based on his statement, he got four more snatched mobile phones recovered.

During the investigation, three victims — Soni Lal, Deepak Kumar, and Amresh Dass — identified Pankaj Kumar and their respective stolen mobile phones. Their statements were recorded, confirming the accused’s involvement in multiple snatching incidents.

After evaluating the evidence, the court convicted Pankaj Kumar and sentenced him to five years of rigorous imprisonment, sending a strong message against repeat offenders involved in street crimes.