Seven-member of a notorious criminal gang who used snakes to terrorise women, loot people, and commit other crimes were sentenced to life imprisonment on Wednesday.
While another member of the “Snake Gang” was given seven years imprisonment, 9th accused was acquitted by the Ranga Reddy district Court.
Ranga Reddy district Second Additional Women’s court Judge V Varaprasad pronouncing the judgment rejected the plea of the accused for leniency on the grounds of their family situation and poverty. “Why you did not think of your family and situation while committing the offences”, the judge asked.
Earlier on Tuesday, the court had found all accused except one guilty of serious charges including dacoity, criminal intimidation and extortion while dropping the charge of rape against the four accused because of the insufficient evidence. Judge said while the prosecution could not prove the charge of rape, they were found guilty of other charges.
On July 31, 2014 the “Snake Gang” had barged in to a farmhouse in Shaheen Nagar area in Hyderabad outskirts, threatened a couple with snakes, beat up and tied the man with ropes and disrobed and raped his fiancé, police said.
Nine members of the gang were arrested in the first week of August, 2014 after the girl lodged a complaint. She also alleged that the gang members had video recorded the heinous act and threatened to upload it on social media if she dared to complaint to the police. The gang had also stolen Rs60,000 and girl’s gold ornament from the farmhouse which were later recovered from a buyer.
The girl, however, gathered courage and lodged a complaint to the Pahadishareef police blowing the lid off to the gangs’ criminal activities and gave a statement to a magistrate. But later she developed cold feet and did not appear in the court.
Police said the gang was involved in several other criminal offences and their modus operandi was to use snakes to threaten and terrorise their victims, mostly women.
The police had booked cases under Sections 452 (trespassing), 395 (dacoity), 506 (criminal intimidation), 454-B (using force to disrob) of IPC and Section 376D of Nirbhay Act.
Those sentenced to life imprisonment include the gang leader and a gym instructor Faisal Dayyani, Khadar Barakaba, Tayyab Basalama, Md Pervez, Syed Anwar, Khaja Ahmad and Mohammed Ibrahim. Another accused Ali Barakaba was convicted on charges of procuring the stolen property and was sentenced to seven years imprisonment while another accused Hamid was acquitted.
Public Prosecutor P Devraj Goud, who demanded stringent punishment to the guilty said the charges of rape were dropped against the accused as the 18-year-old girl failed to appear in the court to give her statement due to the fear of social stigma.
Police officials, who investigated the case said there were many complaints and allegations against the gang members of raping women by terrorising them with snakes but none of the victims came forward to depose against the accused.
The modus operandi of the gang and the spree of offences in which they were involved had created a sensation and fear in the city outskirts and the failure of the police to apprehend the gang initially had sparked off a public furor leading to suspension of police officers of Pahadishareef police station under Cyberabad Police Commissionerate.
Cyberabad Police Commissioner C V Anand expressed his satisfaction over the outcome of the police investigation and said that the police was able to produce the eyewitnesses and evidences leading to the conviction of the accused.
“The case has given a clear message that the police will not spare the criminal and anti social elements harassing the common people”, he said. Anand hoped that the judgement will also enhance the confidence of the people in police.