49 years on, Jhansi man convicted in 1976 theft, cheating case; his 2 co-accused died before trial

According to Maurya, case records show that it dates back to when Lal was employed as a Class IV staffer at a cooperative society in Jhansi. He was accused of stealing a wristwatch worth Rs 150 and several receipt books from the office. Along with his co-accused, he was also charged with embezzling funds by forging the signatures of cooperative society members on official receipts.

A case was filed by a society member at Tahrauli police station under IPC sections 457 (house-breaking by night), 380 (theft in dwelling house), 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant), 467 (forgery of valuable security), and 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating). Lal was initially arrested and remained in custody for about three months before being released on bail.

“Later, when he failed to appear before the court despite repeated summons, a Non-Bailable Warrant (NBW) was issued against him in 2022. He had claimed that his lawyer had told him the case had already been concluded, which is why he did not attend the proceedings until he was arrested following the NBW. During this second spell in custody, he again remained in jail for around three months,” said Maurya.

“During the trial, Kanhaiya Lal submitted a written confession through his counsel. Taking that into consideration, the court delivered its verdict,” Maurya added.