Man sentenced to 10-yr jail for G Noida bank robbery, to be freed on time served

An additional sessions court in Gautam Budh Nagar handed down two 10-year prison terms to a 55-year-old man on Friday for robbing a bank in Surajpur in 2012, besides an additional seven years in prison for attempted murder for firing at a police team, and three years under the Arms Act.

In all, he was sentenced to 30 years in prison, The order, however, said the sentences will run concurrently -- meaning that he will only have to serve 10 years in all.

Since the convict has already spent 11 years behind bars. additional sessions judge Mona Panwar ruled that the time spent in jail be factored into the sentencing and he be released from jail immediately.

“Since the convict has already served 11 years in prison, he is now free to go as per the court’s order,” said Panwar.

RS Bhati, additional district government counsel (ADGC), the incident took place on October 16, 2012, in Surajpur.

“Around 7.45pm, the convict, Kamal (son of Siyaram Mallah), along with accomplices Mangal Singh, Dharmendra alias Penga, Sundar, and Kripal, overpowered the bank guard at gunpoint and entered the bank premises. They took four bank employees hostage, with one of them demanding that the cashier hand over all the cash. Around ₹9.75 lakh was looted and placed in a bag. When they were about to flee, the police arrived at the bank and opened fire at the robbers,” said Bhati.

The police learned of the robbery through a PCR van, that was passing by the bank while the robbery was taking place.

“Sensing trouble, the PCR van alerted headquarters, which dispatched a police team to the bank. At 8pm, a police team arrived at the scene. Upon seeing the police, the five suspects fired at them. While the police arrested Kamal on the spot and recovered the cash, along with an illegal pistol and cartridges, four other suspects managed to escape. The police team filed an FIR against Kamal and the four fugitive suspects, charging them with dacoity, armed dacoity, and criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code. Another FIR was registered against Kamal, accusing him of attempted murder, rioting under the IPC, and sections of the Arms Act,” said the ADGC.

Following arguments from both the prosecutor and the defence during the trial on Friday, the court rendered its verdict in both cases.

“Based on the presented evidence, the convict has been found guilty of committing bank dacoity as part of a criminal conspiracy. The convict is sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment each for dacoity and criminal conspiracy, and seven years of imprisonment for attempted murder,” ordered Judge Panwar.

Regarding the charges of attempted murder and violations of the Arms Act, the judge stated, “From the evidence presented and the confession application form submitted by the accused, it is proven that the accused is guilty of the charges. The court sentences him to seven years of imprisonment for attempted murder and three years for Arms Act violations.”

The court ordered that all sentences would run concurrently, and the time spent by the convict in jail would be taken into account.

The other suspects were not part of this trial, as the convict Kamal had separated his case from the others, the ADGC said, adding that the trial is proceeding in the other cases.