Court convicts Haryana gangster for running organised crime syndicate

New Delhi, Dec 11 (PTI) A Delhi court has convicted Haryana gangster Vikas Gulia and another accused under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) for running an organised crime syndicate.

The court, however, refused to convict both for possessing unaccountable wealth on behalf of a member of an organised crime syndicate.

Additional Sessions Judge Vandana Jain was hearing the case against Vikas Gulia and his associate, Dhirpal alias Kana, against whom the Najafgarh police station filed a chargesheet under Section 3 (punishment for organised crime) and 4 (punishment for possessing unaccountable wealth on behalf of member of organised crime syndicate) of MCOCA.

The FIR in the matter was registered in 2015.

In an order dated December 10, the court convicted the duo, saying, "It is concluded that accused Vikas Gulia alias Vikas Lagarpuria and accused Dhirpal alias Kana were committing the offence of organised crime, and they are held guilty for committing the offence under Section 3 of MCOCA." The court said it was proved beyond a shadow of doubt that both accused persons were carrying out continuing unlawful activities by "running an organised crime syndicate with the object of gaining pecuniary benefits or gaining supremacy." The court said the prosecution also proved that both accused persons had used violence, intimidation, and coercion to commit several offences.

It said, "The testimonies of witnesses coupled with the corroborative evidence have clearly led to only one hypothesis that accused persons were running an organised crime syndicate." It posted the matter for hearing the arguments on sentencing on December 13.

The court, meanwhile, said that neither of the accused persons was directly found in the possession of movable or immovable property and therefore, "both the accused persons cannot be convicted for the offence under Section 4 of MCOCA." According to MCOCA provision, organised crime is defined as any continuing unlawful activity undertaken by an individual, singly or jointly, either as a member of an organised crime syndicate or on behalf of such syndicate, by use of violence or threat of violence or intimidation or coercion, or other unlawful means, intending to gain pecuniary benefits, or undue economic or other advantage for himself or any other person or promoting insurgency. PTI MNR MNR AMJ AMJ