Hyderabad: Punishment in Muthoot case to be decided today

Hyderabad: On Tuesday, the principal district and sessions court of Sangareddy will pronounce the quantum of punishment for the four persons convicted in the robbery at Mini Muthoot in RC Puram. 

The robbery at the private finance company took place in 2015. The same men committed another robbery in the same premises in 2016.

On February 4, 2015, the gang headed by Lakshaman Narayan Mudhang, Ganesh Pandurang Bhonsle alias Patil, Murugan Subramanyam Pujari alias Subhash Subramanyam Pujari alias Anna and Kumar Pal Trilokchand Shah, and three others entered the Mini Muthoot office at RC Reddy Nagar in RC Puram and stole about 3.95 kg of gold by posing as customers.

Initially it was believed that the robbery was the handiwork of the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), but the investigation was futile. On December 28, 2016, the same gang robbed the same office, but this time the gold stolen was 41.5 kg. 

The accused impersonated officials of the CBI and entered the Muthoot office pretending they were carrying out a raid.

The Cyberabad police nabbed the gang this time but recovered just 3.7 kg of gold. Questioning of the accused revealed that they had committed the first robbery in 2015.

In 2017 the police filed a charge sheet in the first case and produced 19 witnesses in court. The principal district and sessions court convicted Lakshman, Ganesh, Murugan, and Kumar Pal under Sections 120 -B, 395 and 411 r/w 34 of the IPC. However, it acquitted them of charges under sections 201, 414 r/w 109 IPC and section 25 (B) (a) of the Arms Act on September 14.  

The court adjourned the judgement on the quantum of punishment to September 18 (Tuesday), and the accused were ordered to be in judicial remand till then.

RC Puram inspector P. Ramchandra Rao said, “The court convicted four persons involved in the robbery in 2015 at Muthoot Finance in RC Puram. The quantum of the punishment will be heard on Tuesday.”