Judge finds holes in police case, lets 3 'dacoits' walk free

Three men have been acquitted by a Delhi court of the charges of preparing to commit a dacoity due to several lacunae in the prosecution case. 

Additional sessions judge Rakesh Tewari freed the three alleged members of a Bangladeshi dacoits’ gang, saying it was difficult to swallow that only 11 policemen were sent to catch a dreaded gang of dacoits. The court acquitted Bangladesh native Anwar and Bihar natives Santosh and Pawan Jha of the charges of preparing for dacoity at a petrol pump near a Telephone Exchange in Hari Nagar. It pointed out that despite arresting the accused from a park opposite the petrol pump, no petrol pump employee was roped in as a witness in the case. Police said they had arrested the accused on a tip-off that a Bangladeshi gang would assemble on January 31, 2007 evening at a deserted park of Hari Nagar at DDU Hospital road along with arms to commit the dacoity.  A raiding party of police was sent to the spot in three Maruti cars and they saw the accused entering the park and talking about committing dacoity at the petrol pump. Accused Anwar, Santosh and Pawan were apprehended and several knifes and iron rod were recovered from them, police told the court, adding accused Raju and Mohammed Hafizul Rehman, however, could not be arrested and were declared proclaimed offenders.