Hyderabad: Eight members of notorious ‘snake gang’ convicted

Eight members of the notorious 'snake gang' were on Thursday convicted by a court

Hyderabad: Eight members of the notorious ‘snake gang’ were on Thursday convicted by a court in connection with disrobing of a young woman in July 2014 and a range of other criminal offences, including dacoity.

Prime suspect in the case, Faisal Dayani, a gym instructor, and six other members of the gang, who would threaten their victims with snakes, were convicted for house trespass, dacoity, criminal intimidation and outraging modesty of a woman.

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However, the eight suspects were convicted only under Section 411 (dishonestly receiving stolen property) of the Indian Penal Code. Another suspect was acquitted in the case.

The quantum of punishment would be pronounced by the court, Public Prosecutor Ponnam Devaraju Goud said adding that the seven convicts who were also booked for gangrape, were acquitted of the charge.

In August 2014, Pahadishareef Police arrested members of the gang, including Dayani, after a 18-year-old girl alleged she was sexually assaulted by them at a farmhouse in Shaheen Nagar.

The gang had entered the farmhouse to commit a robbery and allegedly forced the victim to strip by threatening to set a snake on her and then allegedly raped her in front of her fiancé, police had said in the chargesheet.

However, the charge of gangrape was not proved against them as the victim did not state this allegation before the court during the trial, Goud said.

“The sections under which the accused have been convicted attracts minimum of 10 years of imprisonment and maximum life imprisonment. We have sought maximum punishment,” he added.