Bhubaneswar: Bringing an end to a nearly two-decade-long legal battle, the Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM) court in Kuchinda of Sambalpur district has acquitted three persons accused in a 2006 theft case involving goods worth just Rs 52.
The court on Wednesday cleared all the accused of charges in the long-pending case, which dates back to an alleged theft of gutka packets and cigarettes from a betel shop in the Bamra area.
The incident dates back to 2006, when items worth Rs 52 were reported stolen from a shop owned by the late Prafulla Sahu at Station Basti. Following a complaint lodged at Govindpur police station, police arrested four persons from Nuniamunda village on theft charges and another person from Kechhupani village for allegedly receiving stolen property.
All the accused were subsequently released on bail and had been appearing in court over the years as the trial continued. However, the case gradually slowed down, with hearings becoming irregular and court notices infrequent.
During the prolonged pendency of the matter, two of the accused as well as the complainant passed away. Recently, fresh warrants were issued in connection with the case, following which police arrested the three remaining accused — Ganesh Jaipuria and Amesh Bankara of Nuniamunda village, and Hemant Sahu of Kechhupani village — and produced them before the court.
After hearing the matter, the Kuchinda SDJM court acquitted all three accused, citing the course of evidence and procedural developments in the long-pending case.
Advocate Minaketan Mishra said the case had been delayed primarily due to the repeated absence of eyewitnesses before the court over several years.
“We were produced before the court and lodged in jail for 29 days. Later, we were released on bail. After 20 years, the court finally pronounced the verdict,” said Hemant Kumar Sahoo, one of the acquitted persons.
