VIP robbers absolved of MCOCA charges

• Tuesday | 19th February, 2019

The court observed that of the two men, MCOCA was not attracted against one of them. However, since there was only one chargesheet in connection with the organised crime against Kumar, the court said that MCOCA was not attracted against him.Judge Kaur also noted that for the charge of organised crime syndicate to be constituted, there had to be two or more persons, who either act alone or together as a syndicate or gang, to give rise to an organised crime. Of the three cases, Sharma was involved in two cases along with Kumar.The court, while dealing with the present case of robbery worth Rs 6 lakh, noted that the law of MCOCA required the filing of more than one chargesheet for it to be a continuing unlawful activity, which was the premise of the present case. NEW DELHI: Once dubbed as "VIP" robbers for their taste of luxury cars fitted with a police siren and red beacon bought with looted money, two men were absolved of charges claiming they operated as a part of an "organised crime" syndicate.Additional sessions judge Sukhvinder Kaur acquitted Vishal Sharma and Varun Kumar of charges under Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime (MCOCA) Act and charges pertaining to the Indian Penal Code of robbery and receiving stolen property.It was alleged that Sharma was involved in 43 cases, of which cognisance was taken in 23, and of the 13 cases Kumar faced, cognisance was taken in three.