Ludhiana: A local court has sentenced a man to five years of rigorous imprisonment for snatching and assault. The court of additional sessions judge Preeti Sukhija also imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 on the convict, Sandeep Shukla of Sunder Nagar. Failure to pay will result in an additional three-month jail term.The case dates back to May 1, 2019. Complainant Rama Shankar told the police that while he was manning his egg cart in New Sunder Nagar, Shukla and 20 to 25 masked accomplices attacked him with sticks. As Shankar fell, the group assaulted him with fists and kicks. Shukla then snatched Rs 1,200 from his hand and fled, threatening to kill him. The police later arrested Shukla and recovered the cash. While the convict was also reportedly carrying a country-made pistol during the crime, the motive was linked to a previous altercation on April 30, 2019, when the group had abused the complainant at his house.During the trial, the defence pleaded false implication but failed to provide evidence or prove any enmity between the accused and the police or the complainant. “The defence version cannot be considered gospel truth without evidence,” the court observed, noting that the timeline of events overruled any possibility of a setup. Addressing the defence’s argument that no independent witnesses were joined during the probe, the court maintained that the testimony of official witnesses is as credible as that of private individuals unless proven otherwise. Finding the prosecution’s evidence consistent and convincing, the court held Shukla guilty under charges of snatching and criminal intimidation.
