Thane News: Special MCOCA Court Acquits 11 Accused In 2016 Ulhasnagar Dacoity Case Over Procedural Lapses, Invalid Confessions

Thane: A special court in Thane has acquitted all eleven men accused in a 2016 dacoity case in Ulhasnagar, citing procedural lapses and the inadmissibility of confessions recorded under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).

According to the prosecution, Sandeep Ashok Utekar, an employee of a cash courier firm, was allegedly robbed of Rs 21.23 lakh on August 8, 2016, while he was on duty in Ulhasnagar.

A total of eleven individuals were charged in connection with the case:

Nikhil Kadlag (29), Karan Dalvi (35), Karan Jalpar (35), Mehul Vasita (37), Dhananjay Jadhav (37), Narayan Datta (62), Vishal Jadhav (39), Siddhesh Labdhe (29), Atish Mane (28), Nilesh Yadav (32), and Manglesh Yadav (31).

They were booked not only for robbery but also under MCOCA provisions, with authorities alleging that the group was part of an organized crime syndicate.

However, while delivering the verdict, Judge Sirsikar highlighted “significant delays and procedural irregularities” in the identification parade of the accused. He also found serious shortcomings in how the confessions under MCOCA were recorded.

The court observed that senior officers failed to exercise due diligence during the confession process, rendering the statements unreliable—particularly given the three-year delay in their documentation.