Panchkula, Oct. 25 -- Two men, found guilty in a 2023 snatching case, were awarded 10 years of rigorous imprisonment, the maximum punishment prescribed for the crime, by a Panchkula court. The court of sessions judge Ved Parkash Sirohi also directed the convicts to pay a fine of Rs.25,000 each. The convicts were identified as Jaswinder Singh alias Jassy, 38, a native of Sangrur, Punjab, and Naresh Kumar, 35, hailing from Palwal, Haryana. Both were living in Dera Bassi, Mohali, at the time of the crime. Complainant, Amrik Kaur, a resident of Panchkula, said that on Independence Day, 2023, she was returning from a gurdwara around 6 am when two men on a motorcycle approached her and struck a conversation. Suddenly, one of them pushed her, snatched her gold earrings, and fled. Kaur sustained injuries to her ears during the incident. Initially, the FIR was lodged under Section 379-A (snatching) of the Indian Penal Code but based on the medical legal report (MLR) of the injured complainant, the more stringent Section 379-B (snatching after preparation made for causing death, hurt, or restraint) was added, and Section 379-A was deleted. The entire incident was also captured on closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera footage procured by the police. Both accused were first arrested by the Mohali Police in connection with a separate FIR registered on August 26, 2023, under Sections 379, 379-B, 411 (dishonestly receiving stolen property) of IPC, and Section 25 of the Arms Act at Kharar city police station. During interrogation in the case, the accused confessed and provided disclosure statements regarding their involvement in the Panchkula snatching incident. Subsequently, the Panchkula police obtained their production warrants and formally arrested and interrogated them. The police successfully recovered the stolen gold ear-rings, and the motorcycle used in the crime was also identified. Sanjeev Kumar, a local resident, was a crucial eyewitness in the case. A total of 15 prosecution witnesses, including Mohali Police officials, deposed during the trial. During the arguments on the quantum of sentence, the defense counsel pleaded for a lenient view, citing the convicts' financial and family conditions. However, Akash Tanwar, the public prosecutor, strongly argued that considering the gravity and nature of the offence, no leniency should be granted. He stressed the need for a stringent punishment to deter similar offenders and send a strong message to society. The court, in its order pronounced on October 24 held, "Both convicts in furtherance of their common intention forcibly snatched gold earrings from the ears of the complainant. They pushed her and also injured her ears. Therefore, they do not deserve any leniency in the matter of sentence."...