GOUTAM HAZIRA Vs. STATE OF ODISHA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Both the Appellants, Goutam Hajira and Anil Soni have been convicted by the learned Ad hoc Additional Sessions Judge, (F.T.C.-I), Balasore in Sessions Trial No.117/265 of 2010 for the commission of offences under Sec. 364-A/392/34 of the Indian Penal Code (I.P.C.) and have been sentenced to life imprisonment.

(2.) The prosecution story in brief is that, the victims Papu @ Abhimanyu Mahuri (P.W.2) and Pintu Pradhan were working in a textile mill at Coimbatore. On 27/5/2010 they moved from Coimbatore to Balasore by train i.e. the Karamandal Express. They boarded the train at Chennai on 27/5/2010. They were scheduled to alight at Balasore railway station the next day. But on the way, the victims were kidnapped by the Appellants were robbed and taken away to an unknown place in West Bengal for ransom.

(3.) In the night of 30/5/2010 a phone call was received by Gada @ Sunil, the brother of P.W.2 about the kidnapping of P.W.2 and his friend Pintu. The caller demanded a ransom of Rs.2.00 lakhs. Sunil in turn informed Balaram (P.W.1), the eldest brother of both PW 2 and Sunil. On the next day Balaram lodged the F.I.R. (Ext.1) which was registered as Balasore GRPS Case No.22 dtd. 31/5/2010. P.W.5, the then Sub-Inspector of Police immediately took up investigation of the case and in course of investigation sent a requisition to the Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of Dolahat Police Station (WB). P.W.4, another Sub-Inspector of Police attached to Balasore Town P.S. was sent to Dolahat along with one Muralidhar Sethi immediately. When P.W.4 reached Dolahat P.S., he found both the victims had already been rescued. Subsequently, P.W.4 brought both the victims to Balasore and handed them over to P.W.5.