Delhi Police secures life sentence for two hardcore criminals under MCOCA

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police has secured the conviction and life imprisonment of two hardcore criminals under the stringent provisions of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), an official said on Thursday.

The convicts were identified as Vikas Gulia alias Vikas Lagarpuria and Dhirpal alias Kana.

The police said Gulia was found to be involved in at least 18 criminal cases, while Dhirpal had links to 10 serious offences, including murder, attempt to murder, extortion-related crimes, violations of the Prisons Act, disobedience of orders of public servants, breach of the Model Code of Conduct and causing grievous hurt.

The case pertains to an FIR registered at the Najafgarh police station under Section 3 of MCOCA. Following the registration of the case, the police of Dwarka district carried out a detailed investigation.

During the probe, investigators collected certified copies of multiple previous cases against both accused from various courts, establishing a pattern of sustained and organised criminal activity.

The police said the investigation revealed that the duo continued to engage in serious offences despite being granted bail in several earlier cases, posing a grave threat to public order and safety.

"The prosecution examined 59 witnesses out of a total of 86 cited, presenting extensive documentary and oral evidence to demonstrate the continued unlawful activities of the accused. The court noted that the accused showed no fear or regard for the law, underscoring the necessity of invoking special legislation such as MCOCA to curb organised crime," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Dwarka) Ankit Singh in a statement said.

Based on the evidence on record, the court of Additional Session Judge Vandana Jain held the two accused guilty under Section 3 of MCOCA on December 10 last year.

The court sentenced both Gulia and Dhirpal to rigorous imprisonment for life and imposed a fine of Rs 3 lakh each. In case of default in payment of the fine, the convicts will have to undergo an additional one year of imprisonment, read the statement.
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