Man booked for submitting fabricated docs for pre-arrest bail in Thane court

A case has been registered against a man for allegedly furnishing fabricated and false documents with his pre-arrest bail plea in a court in Maharashtra`s Thane district, police said on Saturday, reported news agency PTI.

Based on a complaint by a court official, the police on Thursday registered a case against Krishna Peinurkar under sections 318(4)(cheating by personation), 336(2) (forgery), 227(giving false evidence) and other relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, an official said, reported PTI.

According to the police, the alleged accused applied for pre-arrest bail on February 18, and attached affidavits and other relevant documents with the application.

The official said during verification, the documents were found to be fabricated and false.

He said a probe is underway, and no arrest has been made in the case.

Thane court sentences man to life imprisonment in 2016 murder case

A court in Maharashtra`s Thane district has sentenced a 30-year-old man to life imprisonment for the murder of a man in 2016, reported PTI.

Additional sessions judge A N Sirsikar convicted the accused, Ajay Lalbahaddur Vishwakarma, of the charges under section 302 (murder) and other relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code and sentenced him to life imprisonment and a five-year rigorous imprisonment term, reported PTI.

The sentences will run concurrently, the court ordered.

The court, however, acquitted Sanjay Firatlal Goutam, a co-accused in the case, citing lack of conclusive evidence against him, reported PTI.

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

Additional public prosecutor Rekha Hiwrale informed the court that on July 27, 2016, the victim, Jay Prajapati, went missing after informing his father that he was at Bhayandar railway station, reported PTI.

She said messages were sent from Prajapati`s mobile phone, demanding Rs 15 lakh for his release. However, despite efforts by his family and the police, the victim could not be traced, and his body was later discovered wrapped in a motorcycle cover in the mangroves.

The prosecution said the forensic investigation and digital evidence linked Vishwakarma to the crime.

At least 16 prosecution witnesses, including the victim`s kin and medical officers, were examined during the trial, she said.

The court noted that key prosecution witnesses testified after a six-year delay, leading to some discrepancies.

However, judge Sirsikar observed that minor inconsistencies should not undermine the credibility of the evidence, reported PTI.

The court ruled that while the prosecution failed to prove the ransom demand and the involvement of the second accused, it successfully established that Vishwakarma had a motive to kill Prajapati due to personal enmity.

He highlighted that the discovery of the deceased`s body at the instance of the accused and the extra-judicial confession before a witness played a crucial role in securing the conviction.

The judge, in his order, ruled that the case did not fall under the `rarest of rare` category warranting capital punishment.

The court acquitted the co-accused, Sanjay Firatlal Goutam, stating that his mere presence at railway stations captured in CCTV footage was insufficient to establish his role in the crime.

(With inputs from PTI)