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Delhi's Saket court has recently acquitted two accused of abducting Neera Radia's son Karan Radia, two decades ago, in April 2003. He was first taken to Gurugram, then to Rewari.
At the time of the incident, Karan was 18 and had managed to escape from the captivity. The court acquitted the accused persons giving the benefit of the doubt. Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Ravindra Kumar Pandey acquitted Dheeraj Singh and Vijay Kumar of the offences of abduction, attempt to murder, criminal Conspiracy etc. The judge said that the Court is of the considered view that the prosecution has failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt regarding the charge of an offence punishable Under section 120-B IPC and the charge of an offence punishable Under section 364-A (Kidnapping for ransom), 365 (Kidnapping for hiding a person), 307 (Attempt to murder) IPC read with Section 120-B IPC. "Accordingly, accused Dheeraj Singh and accused Vijay Kumar are acquitted from the charge of an offence punishable U/s 120-B IPC and charge of offence punishable U/s 364-A/365/307 IPC read with Section 120-B IPC and from the present case," ASJ Pandey ordered on October 16. The case of the prosecution is that on 26.04.2003, both the accused persons Dheeraj Singh and Vijay Kumar had hatched a conspiracy to abduct the victim Karan Radia for ransom. On 26.04.2003, Karan Radia was abducted from near Modern Bazar, Vasant Vihar allegedly by Dheeraj Singh. The victim testified before the court that he was abducted by Dheeraj Singh on the pretext of showing his office in Gurgaon where he was tied with strips and his face and head was covered with cap and he was kept in boot of the car of the accused Dheeraj and he was taken to Rewari from where he escaped from the captivity of the accused persons. He also stated that accused Vijay Kumar was also accompanying the accused Dheeraj when they initially reached to the office of accused Dheeraj at Gurgaon. The victim/witness also stated that he hired taxi after his escaped from the accused persons and with the assistance of the public persons, he reached to his home where on arrival of his mother, he lodged complaint to the police. The court noted that accused Dheeraj and victim Karan Radia were known to each other and mother of the victim namely Neera Radia was having close relation with the accused Dheeraj prior to the incident and there was some business dispute between accused Dheeraj and Neera Radia. The court noted that no formal complaint of incident was given to the police. " No formal complaint was lodged to the police with local police station and it came on record that the present case was investigated by the officials of Crime Branch without any formal order of the investigation by the Crime Branch," the court observed. The court further noted that no formal communication was given to the police officials of Crime Branch to investigate the present case. The complaint of the complainant was not addressed to any authority or to any Incharge of the police station. The court pointed out, " It is not clear from the testimony of police witnesses and Investigation Officer (IO) that on what basis, he proceeded with the investigation of the present case and on whose instructions, he investigated the present case." During the cross examination of IO that no formal communication was given to the local police station of the police officials of District Gurgaon or District Rewari regarding the visit of the police team at these places in regard to effect the arrest of the accused persons. The accused persons took the defence that they were picked up from their respective houses and case properties were planted against them. The court further pointed out that arrest and apprehension of the accused persons and mode and manner of arrest and apprehension of accused persons is also doubtful in view of the evidence came on record through the defence witness. (ANI)
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