Chandigarh: labourer to spend 5 years in jail for snatching phone

The court of additional district and sessions judge has awarded five-year jail to a labourer who was arrested for snatching a sweeper’s mobile phone in January 2022.

The convict, identified as Vikas Kumar of Milak village, Mohali, was also fined ₹11,000.

The victim, Mon, who works as a sweeper in Sampark Centre, Sector 43, said when she was going towards District Courts, Sector 43, and reached in front of the main gate of Judicial Academy, one boy snatched her mobile phone.

A case was registered under Sections 379-A and 411 of the Indian Penal Code at Sector 36 police station and a mobile phone was recovered from his possession.

In the court, Kumar said he was innocent. He was working as labourer and has old-aged parents, a wife, a minor daughter and younger siblings who are dependent upon him for their livelihood. He prayed for taking a lenient view while awarding the sentence.

Meanwhile, public prosecutor for the state JP Singh, opposing his prayer, prayed for awarding severe punishment in accordance with the law keeping in view the gravity of the offence committed by him.

The court of additional district and sessions judge observed that in view of the judicial principles as well as the gravity of the crime, convict Vikas Kumar was sentenced to undergo imprisonment for five years.