Maharashtra: Thane court sentences 2 to life in 2017 Bhiwandi murder case; MCOCA charges dropped

THANE: The Thane Sessions Court sentenced two men to life imprisonment for the gruesome murder of a grocery shop owner during a late-night robbery in Bhiwandi eight years ago. The accused, Ramashish alias Ashish Rajendra Patel and Sagar Dnyaneshwar Katale, were convicted under various sections of the Indian Penal Code for murder, attempted murder, and housebreaking by night. However, the court acquitted both men of charges under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), citing a lack of evidence to establish their involvement in organised criminal activity.The case stemmed from a violent incident that occurred in the early hours of January 26, 2017, at Gurudev Complex in Sonale, Bhiwandi. According to the prosecution, the two accused forcibly entered the shop owned by Suresh Gupta and his wife Sunita by breaking open the shutter while the couple was asleep inside. Upon being confronted, Patel stabbed Suresh in the stomach and assaulted Sunita with a knife before fleeing the scene. While Suresh succumbed to his injuries at IGM Hospital, Sunita survived after receiving treatment and later became the key eyewitness in the case.During the course of the trial, which began in April 2024 and concluded this week, the court examined 12 witnesses, including forensic experts, police officers, and local residents. Crucial CCTV footage obtained from nearby shops captured the accused in the vicinity at the time of the incident. The prosecution also produced medical reports and seized blood-stained clothes and weapons, which were corroborated through forensic evidence.Judge Amit M. Shete held that the accused committed the crime with clear intent, having brought a deadly weapon with them and executed the assault with premeditation. He observed that Sunita Gupta’s testimony remained consistent and credible, and that her early report to police carried specific details matching the evidence.However, when it came to the MCOCA charges, the court found that the prosecution failed to demonstrate that the accused were part of a structured crime syndicate or committed the offence with the aim of gaining undue economic benefit. While acknowledging that the accused had prior criminal records and were involved in other offences in the same locality, the judge stated that repetition of crimes alone did not meet the threshold for invoking MCOCA.