The special judge (gangsters’ Act) on Friday acquitted underworld don Om Prakash Srivastava alias Babloo Srivastava in connection with a jewellery businessman Pankaj Mahindra kidnapping for ransom case but convicted and awarded sentence to other eight accused in this case. Babloo is at present lodged in Bareily jail.
Interestingly, the court acquitted Babloo’s one nephew Sankalp Srivastava in this kidnapping case but convicted another nephew – Vikalp Srivastava in the same case and awarded him the sentence of six and half years.
While acquitting Babloo and his nephew Sankalp, the special judge Vinod Kumar Chaurasia convicted Vikalp Srivastava, Sachchidanand, Mahendra Yadav and Chandra Mohan Yadav and sentenced them to six and half years imprisonment.
Besides, the court awarded a sentence of five years to other four accused – Vineet Parihar, Sandeep Chaudhary, Rakesh Singh and Bholu alias Abhishek Yadav.
As per legal mandatory legal procedure, Babloo Srirvastava, who is an accused in this kidnapping case was present before the court through video conferencing.
According to district government counsel (criminal) Gulab Chandra Agrahri and special public prosecutor Ramendra Pratap Singh, who represented prosecution side in this case, a renowned jewellery businessman, Pankaj Mahindra of Prayagraj was kidnapped from the city on September 5, 2015 and a ransom of Rs 10 crores was demanded by the kidnappers for his release.
An FIR in this connection was lodged by brother of Pankaj Mahindra in police station – Kotwali, Prayagraj.
Subsequently, Pankaj Mahindra was rescued by a team of STF from a farm house in Fatehpur district located under police station Sothar.
During the investigation, the name of Babloo Srivastava and others were cropped up and chargesheet was filed against them. Now after the conclusion of trial, the court has passed the above decision.
