Ludhiana: A local court has sentenced a man to ten years of rigorous imprisonment for his involvement in a 2022 snatching incident. The court of Additional Sessions Judge Dr. Rajneesh also imposed a fine of Rs 26,000 on the convict, Sanju Verma. Failure to pay the fine will result in an additional six months and one week of rigorous imprisonment.The case dates back to January 16, 2022, when Division Number 5 police booked Sanju Verma of New Model Town, along with Soni Yadav and Prem Kumar (alias Mental), under IPC sections 379-B (snatching), 411 (receiving stolen property), 34 (common intention), and 201 (disappearance of evidence). According to the prosecution, the complainant, Deepak Sahni, was heading from Midha Chowk toward the bus stand at 5.30 am when three men on a motorcycle approached him. After inquiring about a route, they snatched his shoulder bag—containing a laptop, mobile phone, charger, and documents—and fled. While the complainant initially could not provide a registration number, a supplementary statement on July 29, 2022, revealed the accused had used a datar (sharp-edged weapon) to instill fear. Investigations led by ASI Jasvir Singh eventually identified the trio, noting that Mental held the weapon, Sonu drove the motorcycle, and Sanju Verma physically snatched the bag.During the trial, proceedings faced several complications. Accused Prem Kumar was reported deceased, though his death verification remains pending; consequently, his abatement proceedings were separated. Similarly, accused Soni Yadav absented himself during arguments after pleading false implication, leading his proceedings to be separated to avoid further delays. The defense argued that no independent witnesses were joined despite the incident occurring on a thoroughfare. However, the court dismissed this, observing that the prosecution’s testimonies inspired confidence and there was no evidence of prior enmity or motive for false implication. Court Observations The court concluded that the cumulative evidence established that Sanju Verma, acting with common intention alongside Soni Yadav and Prem Kumar, snatched the complainant’s bag at the point of a datar. The court highlighted that the complainant’s mobile phone was subsequently recovered from Verma’s possession.
