BHUBANESWAR: For the first time in Odisha, a man was awarded 10 years rigorous imprisonment (RI) as per the provisions of organised crime in BNS on Saturday. The 2nd Additional District and Sessions Judge also imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh against convict Deepak Kumar Sahoo.
Lingaraj police in the capital city had arrested Sahoo on June 16 last year and recovered five stolen motorcycles from him. He was booked under section 111 of BNS (organised crime) and the police had filed the chargesheet against him 11 days later on June 27.
An accused can be booked under section 111 of BNS if more than one chargesheet has been filed against him within the preceding 10 years and the court has taken cognizance.
Sahoo was earlier booked in 24 cases and police have already filed at least two chargesheets against him. The BNS, specifically section 111, introduced a dedicated provision for organised crime, said a senior police officer.
This section acts as a deterrent against habitual criminals and attracts imprisonment of five years to life and a fine up to Rs 5 lakh. Sahoo's conviction sends a strong message to habitual property offenders and reflects the effective and firm implementation of BNS in Odisha, he added.
The investigation of the case was carried out by assistant sub-inspector (ASI) of police Amarendra Swain and the trial was conducted by public prosecutor Ranjan Mahanandia.