Accused serving life sentence for Khadim kidnap acquitted by Calcutta High Court
Telegraph | 29 March 2025
An associate of gangster Aftab Ansari serving a life sentence in connection with the 2001 kidnapping of the owner of the Khadim shoe chain was acquitted by Calcutta High Court on Thursday.
Shoe baron Parthapratim Roy Burman was kidnapped from CN Roy Road on his way to his godown. He was held hostage for around a week before being released.
Ansari and 12 others had been convicted of the crime. Akhtar Hossain, who was arrested in 2012 and convicted in December 2017, was on Thursday acquitted. He had been sentenced to life for allegedly supplying arms from Haryana for the kidnapping.
The division bench of Justice Mohammad Shabbar Rashidi and Justice Debangsu Basak, in its verdict, said that though a prosecution witness said Akhtar was supposed to supply arms from Haryana through another accused, Farasat, no such evidence was found.
“So far as the role of Akhtar, alias Akhtar Hossain, alias Paloan, alias Moulana Hossain, is concerned, the evidence on record does not place him either in Bhoot Bungalow or the flat at 21B, Gorachand Lane at any point of time. None of the prosecution witnesses have identified this appellant in court,” the order says.
Bhoot Bungalow is a building in Haroa in North 24-Parganas where Roy Burman was held hostage after his abduction while the flat being referred to at 21B, Gorachand Lane is at Park Circus where meetings planning the abduction were held.
“According to the evidence brought on record, he (Akhtar Hossain) was supposed to supply arms from Haryana for the execution of the plan. PW 32 stated in his deposition that Akhtar was to supply arms from Haryana through Farasat. He also stated that Farasat came with the arms and vehicle. The evidence on record also discloses that arms were actually used in the incident and Partho (sic) Roy Burman got injured by gunshot and was also treated for such injuries upon his release. Nevertheless, we could find nothing on record to establish that the arms brought by Farasat were the arms used in the incident. There is no evidence that the arms brought by Farasat were actually supplied by Akhtar...There is absolutely no description of arms, alleged to be supplied by this appellant or that of the arms used in the incident,” the order reads.
The court said that it was not in a position to uphold his conviction and acquitted him of charges of kidnapping, wrongful restraint and criminal conspiracy.