After 10 yrs, man finally acquitted of mango theft, murder bid charges

LUCKNOW: A defendant’s patience and faith in justice finally bore fruit, albeit after a long wait of 10 years when additional sessions judge PC Kushwaha absolved one Farid Pindari of the charges of theft of mangoes and attempt to murder.

In the judgment delivered here earlier this week, Kushwaha stated that the prosecution had failed to prove beyond doubt that Farid Pindari had forcibly stolen mangoes from the complainant Rashid Ali Beg’s orchard on June 7, 2008, and had tried to kill him.

Rashid Ali Beg had lodged a

FIR (first information report) at Malihabad police station in June 2008 that Farid Pindari and Hafiz Abdul Rais (both defendants) forcibly plucked mangoes from his orchard in Malihabad at around 9pm on June 7, 2008.

When Beg tried to confront them, Farid Pindari provoked Hafiz Abdul Rais to kill him (Beg), the complainant had alleged. On being incited, Hafiz Abdul fired from a country made gun on Beg, but he missed the target, the complainant further claimed.

In the FIR, attempt to murder charges under Section 307 of the IPC (Indian Penal Code) were levelled against Farid Pindari and Hafiz Abdul Rais.

During the course of investigation and legal battle, Hafiz Abdul Rais died. Thereafter, the case against him was closed.

“During the prolonged legal battle, the prosecution was not able to prove that Farid Pindari had tried to kill Rashid Ali Beg. Even the charges of stealing mangoes against him could not be proved,” said lawyers KK Mishra and Waqar Husain, who represented Farid Pindari and Hafiz Abdul Rais in court.

“The investigating officer’s (sub-inspector) report also pointed out that no gun shot was fired and no mangoes were stolen. Due to personal enmity, false allegations were levelled on Farid and Hafiz,” Mishra added.