Thane, Feb 5 The sessions court in Maharashtra’s Thane has acquitted all five accused, including four women, in an alleged kidnapping-extortion case, observing that the prosecution failed to prove any of the charges levelled against them.
In his judgment of January 30, a copy of which was made available on Thursday, Additional Sessions Judge G T Pawar held that the evidence on record was insufficient to establish the guilt of the accused beyond reasonable doubt.
The accused, identified as Nisha Nagesh Gaikwad, Sonali, alias Pinky Mahendra Mahalle, Darshana Nagesh Gaikwad, Deepa Rohit Prajapati and Osama Zaid Fakki, allegedly kidnapped a man and his friend on May 21, 2024. They allegedly threatened to frame the two in a rape case, according to the police.
The five allegedly demanded Rs 1 lakh from the complainant and his friend and let the two go after they paid Rs 5,000.
Judge Pawar recorded that the complainant and the sole eyewitness failed to identify any of the accused during the trial, claiming that their faces were covered. The court further said that accused Pinky could not be identified in court.
None of the witnesses deposed that the accused present before the court had kidnapped the two and extorted money from them. “The prosecution has failed to prove that the accused have committed the charged offences,” said the court, acquitting all the accused.
