24 handed 10 yr jail term for supplying ammunition to terrorists

Rampur (UP), Oct 13 (IANS) A court in Rampur on Friday sentenced 24 people -- most of them security personnel -- to 10 years in jail for supplying arms and ammunition to terrorists and Maoists in connection with a case registered in 2010.

Most of the convicts were officials of the Uttar Pradesh Police, Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) or the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

One of the accused died during the trial that lasted over a decade. Rampur Additional District Government Counsel (Criminal), Pratap Singh Maurya, said: "Today in the cartridge case, a court in Rampur sentenced 24 convicts to 10 years of jail term and Rs 10,000 fine each. All the convicts were taken into custody on Thursday after the court found them guilty."

Elaborating about the case, Maurya said: "The incident happened in 2010 when the Special Task Force (STF) Superintendent in Lucknow had some inputs that some arms and ammunition were being supplied to Maoists and terrorists from Rampur through a person in Allahabad. A team was formed and on April 29, 2010, a team came to Rampur and arrested three persons -- Yashodhanand, Vinod Paswan and Vinesh Kumar.

"Ammunition in 12 sacks and some parts of arms were found. An FIR was lodged and they were sent to judicial custody. On identification by Yashodhanand, another person named Nathiram Saini was arrested from Moradabad."

An official said that a/ total of 25 people were accused in the case and were arrested during the probe.

"Yashodhanand had provided a diary with the names of the accused and details of bank accounts. The same 25 people were named in the chargesheet too. Out of the 25, one died during the trial," said Maurya.

All accused were found guilty under Indian Penal Code sections 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant, or by banker, merchant or agent), 413 (habitually dealing in stolen property) and 120B (criminal conspiracy).

"Some accused were PAC officials, some CRPF, some UP police officials and some civilians," he added.

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