Pathanamthitta, Sep 24 A court on Thursday sentenced five persons to rigorous imprisonment and acquitted two others in connection with the 2011 Mezhuveli Service Co-operative Bank heist case.
The Pathanamthitta Chief Judicial Magistrate Court, John Varghese, sentenced Vinu and Suresh Kumar to two years and 11 months’ rigorous imprisonment each, while Sudheesh and Gireesh were sentenced to two years and nine months’ rigorous imprisonment each.
The court also sentenced the seventh accused, Biju Ramakrishnan, to one year and six months’ rigorous imprisonment and a Rs 10,000 fine.
Vinu, Kumar, Sudheesh, and Gireesh were ordered to pay Rs seven lakh as compensation to the Mezhuveli Service Co-operative Bank, in addition to a fine of Rs 10,000 each.
Kishor Maheshkumar PV and Manoj alias Manu were acquitted of the charges against them.
Sameer Roshan Shamnad, the third accused, remains absconding and has not been arrested.
The prosecution case was that the accused planned the heist, reached the bank using a stolen school bus and other vehicles, and broke into the bank after drilling through a rear wall.
They allegedly used welding machines and gas cutters stolen from various places before fleeing with gold and cash worth around Rs 1.5 crore in August 2011.
Police had arrested the accused after pursuing them to Gujarat.
During the trial, the court examined 11 documents, 62 witnesses and 111 material objects.
The convicted accused were granted bail as the sentence was less than three years.
(PTI News)
