RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, Oct.8: Arjun Kumar Mahto, who was booked for possessing illegal arms, was acquitted today.
Additional judicial commissioner M.C.Jha gave the order after the prosecution failed to prove his crime beyond reasonable doubt. However, Ramesh Mahli, who was caught along with Mahto in the same case, was convicted and awarded six years’ imprisonment.
Defence lawyer Ashok Mishra informed the development saying as many as 9 witnesses from the prosecution side were examined in the case before the court passed the order giving benefit of doubt to Mahto and no benefit to Mahli.
“Though two out of nine turned hostile and one contradicted the date of incident, the court was not inclined to acquit both. Mahli was convicted as police said that arms were recovered from his possession while about Mahto they said he was with him,” Mishra elaborated.
Giving background of the case, advocate Mishra said Mahto and Mahli were nabbed by villagers at Pooltand under Muri OP area on July 5, 2016. They were nabbed while attempting to loot a bike. After the police obtained information and searched, a country made pistol was recovered from the possession of Mahli. During investigation it was found the cartridge found in the arms was the same used by army personnel.
An FIR was registered in this case at Silli police station. Accordingly, the accused were arrested and sent to jail, where they stayed for more than two and a half years.
Asked about the further course of action in the matter, Mishra said he will take the matter before the high court as police in the case failed to produce the person before the court from whom my client attempted to loot. Apart from this, the seizure witnesses have turned hostile in the case and according to my client he was falsely implicated in an arms act.
