MCOCA Charges Dropped as Court Finds No Link to Chain-Snatching

Two men accused in a Thane chain-snatching case have been acquitted after a special court found a lack of evidence to support the charges, including those under the stringent MCOCA act.

A special court in Thane district has acquitted two men booked under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) in a 2023 chain-snatching case, observing that there was no evidence linking them to the crime.

Special judge V G Mohite acquitted Saurabh alias Sonya Manoj Salunkhe (22) and Abdulla Sanjay Irani alias Sayyad (24), who were booked under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Maharashtra Police Act, and MCOCA.

A copy of the order passed on March 12 was made available on Saturday.

Details of the Chain-Snatching Incident

According to the prosecution, on January 10, 2023, two motorcycle-borne men allegedly snatched a gold 'mangalsutra' from a pedestrian in Kalyan.

While the court accepted that the robbery took place, it found the identification of the accused to be legally unsustainable.

The judge noted that the complainant, during cross-examination, admitted she had not properly seen the faces of the riders as the incident occurred in a "fraction of a moment".

MCOCA Charges Dismissed

Regarding the stringent MCOCA charges, which were invoked based on the accused's prior criminal records, the court held that since the primary offence (robbery) remained unproven, these charges could not stand.

The court also pointed out that no evidence was presented to prove the existence of prohibitory orders under the Maharashtra Police Act on the day of the crime.

It directed the immediate release of the accused, who had been in custody since 2023.