68-Year-Old UP Man Convicted For 1976 Theft After His Confession In Court

NDTV

2 days ago

Uttar Pradesh:
Nearly 50 years after a theft at a cooperative society here, the last surviving accused, now a frail 68-year-old man, has been found guilty -- not through a lengthy trial but after his confession in court.
The case, which dates back to March 1976, stretched on for over 49 years with countless hearings, bureaucratic delays, and the deaths of two co-accused during the trial. But it was only last Saturday that Kanhaiya Lal, standing in the dock of the chief judicial magistrate's court here, admitted to his role in the crime.
According to prosecution officer Akhilesh Kumar Maurya, the case was filed on March 31, 1976, by Bihari Lal Gautam, then secretary of the Large Scale Cooperative Society (LSS) in Tahrauli.
The complainant alleged that on March 27, 1976, Kanhaiya Lal, then a Class IV employee, stole an official receipt book and a wristwatch worth Rs 150 from the office.
Lal forged signatures in the receipt book and misappropriated over Rs 14,000 from society members. Two other men, Laxmi Prasad and Raghunath, were accused of issuing forged receipts in their names and embezzling funds, Maurya said.
He said all three were arrested shortly after but were later granted bail.
What followed was an extraordinary judicial delay that stretched nearly five decades. Over the years, the slow wheels of justice saw hearings postponed, files changing hands, and the death of Laxmi Prasad and Raghunath.
The case, State vs Kanhaiya Lal, finally saw formal charges framed against the primary accused on December 23, 2022.
On Saturday, during one of the routine hearings, Lal, now a resident of Sharmafem Road, Hazira in Gwalior, confessed to the crime before Chief Judicial Magistrate Munna Lal, Maurya said.
"Kanhaiya Lal told the court he wished to confess due to his deteriorating health and old age," the lawyer said.
He said the court accepted Lal's plea and sentenced him under Indian Penal Code sections 380 (theft), 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant), 467 (forgery of valuable securities, wills, and other specified documents), 468 (forgery for cheating), 457 (house breaking), and 120B (criminal conspiracy).
Since Lal already spent two separate terms of three months each in jail during the trial period, the court considered it sufficient custodial punishment.
In addition, he was fined Rs 300 under each section and Rs 500 under one. In case of failure to pay the fine, he will have to undergo an additional three days of imprisonment, according to the prosecutor.