A Surat court on Monday convicted two men for mobile thefts and punished them with seven years of "strict imprisonment". In its order, the Surat District and Sessions court underlined that the ruling "will set an example in society". "In the present times, it has become difficult for people to walk on the roads safely, and fear is seen on the faces of the public. The civilians are feeling scared of coming out of their houses wearing gold chains or carrying mobile phones with them. In such circumstances, if the accused in the present case are punished strictly, it will set an example in society," read the court order. The case was filed on January 4, 2020, after complainant Teerth Patel said his mobile was snatched when he was out on a walk near his house in the Dindoli area on December 22, 2019. Meanwhile, the Surat Crime Branch had caught four men over thefts of mobiles and other items from morning and evening walkers in December 2019. Sopandev alias Sagar Patil and Anand Warde, who have now been convicted, were among these gang members. After Patil and Warde confessed to stealing mobiles from the Dindoli area, they were arrested by local police on January 3, 2002. Teerth Patel's mobile phone was among the items seized from them. After the ruling on Monday, Assistant Public Prosecutor N K Golwala said, “Both the accused were on bail after three months of their arrest. They were shocked after the court's ruling.”
