Mumbai: A special court on Thursday sentenced two men to six years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 12.1 lakh each for the 2019 abduction and robbery of a manager in Borivli. Pravin Helkar (35) and Suresh Singh (38) were convicted under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) after the prosecution proved they were part of a syndicate that used violence to target citizens for financial gain. Special Judge Satyanarayan R Navander noted that the accused had “virtually adopted crime as a means of livelihood” and that their coordinated actions reflected the functioning of an organized crime syndicate. The judge said, “Innocent persons were targeted, robbed and, at times, subjected to assault. Activities of such nature strike at the sense of security of ordinary citizens”.The incident occurred when the victim was abducted while returning to his office from lunch. The duo assaulted the man, forced him into an autorickshaw, and smashed his head against the vehicle’s meter, causing bleeding injuries. Under the threat of violence, the victim was coerced into handing over gold ornaments worth Rs 1.3 lakh.The case was registered at Borivli police station. The incident took place on Nov 30, 2019.
