Thane court convicts two Bangladeshi women for illegal stay

A Thane court has convicted two Bangladeshi women for illegally entering India and staying in Thane district without valid documents, the PTI reported on Thursday.

The police had apprehended Kohinoorbegam Rojgul Islam Saddar, 58, and 60-year-old Anuarabegam Ansarali Tofadar from Indiranagar Zopadpatti in Bhayandar East on December 20, 2023 and charged them under various provisions of the Foreigners Act after a probe, as per the PTI.

The women told the court that they were lodged in jail for almost 16 months now. 

In his order of April 16, details of which were made available on Thursday, Additional Sessions Judge AS Bhagwat, “In the above circumstances and considering the fact that the accused are of old age and are in jail from about one and half years, leniency in sentencing is required to be done.”

“The offences they have been accused of are punishable by imprisonment of five years. The accused has been in jail since December 20, 2023. Hence, it would be appropriate to convict them under the Foreigners Order 1948, read with Foreigners Act 1948 and sentence them for imprisonment of 1 year, 3 months 27 days,” the judge said, according to the PTI.

The women are from Khulna in Bangladesh, APP VG Kadu said.

Thane court acquits six booked under MCOCA in 2017 robbery case

Meanwhile, in an another case, a court in Thane district has acquitted six persons booked under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) in a 2017 robbery case, citing insufficient evidence, reported news agency PTI.

The accused were booked under the MCOCA and the Indian Penal Code for stealing cigarettes worth Rs 91 lakh from a godown in Navi Mumbai.

A copy of the order dated April 16 was made available on Monday.

The court has acquitted Mukesh Mohan Chaudhari @ Raju Rathod (43), Surendra Aslaramji Chaudhari (30), Champalal Chogaram Verma (35), Ratanlal Nagaram Dangi (38), Suresh Hariram Chaudhari (35), and Tejas Champalal Unecha (43), all residents of Pune district, reported PTI.

According to the prosecution, the robbery took place on the night of July 29, 2017, at a godown and cigarette distribution centre in the APMC Market area of Navi Mumbai. A police complaint was lodged, and the accused were arrested and charged based on recovered cigarette cartons and fingerprint evidence.

A case was registered under sections 457 (house-breaking by night), 380 (theft), 120(B) (criminal conspiracy), 411 (dishonestly receiving stolen property), and 34 (common intention) of the IPC, and relevant provisions of the MCOCA.

Special MCOCA judge Amit M Shete noted several critical lapses in the investigation.

(With PTI inputs)