2 men acquitted of drugging and robbing autorickshaw drivers in Mumbai

Mumbai: A sessions court on Saturday acquitted two men, in two separate cases involving allegations of drugging and robbing auto-rickshaw drivers. The court held that the prosecution failed to prove the guilt of the accused, Sampatraj Jain and Sagar Parekh, beyond a reasonable doubt.

The court noted that there was no medical evidence provided to verify the administration of any stupefying substances.The judge observed that “there is no evidence of medicine which was given to complainant by accused by which the complainant became unconscious,” and noted that the police failed to record statements from doctors or investigate the source of the alleged drugs. Further, the court pointed to the absence of independent witnesses and the failure to conduct mandatory identification parades.The first incident occurred on March 24, 2023, when an autorickshaw driver alleged that he picked up two passengers at Andheri railway station and drove them to Bandra Bandstand. The driver claimed that after he was offered a spiked cold drink, he lost consciousness, and woke up hours later to find his gold chain, mobile phone, and wallet missing. A complaint was lodged on April 6, 2023. In the second incident, dated Feb 17, 2023, another autorickshaw driver alleged he was drugged with a spiked sweet after transporting two passengers from Andheri to Bhabha Hospital in Bandra.

That victim claimed he woke up in an intensive care unit the following day, missing his gold chain, pendant, and cash.The court noted the absence of independent witnesses and the failure to conduct mandatory identification parades. The judge also found that the police failed to collect CCTV footage from the scenes of the crimes or the railway stations.