Chapter 1
This is a story of stealing the court’s judgement to evade arrest and imprisonment. Many great robberies around the world involved the theft of valuables and money, but the theft of judgement from three courts, for evading arrest makes the story unique.
This convict stole the copy of the court’s judgements from not only the lower court but also from the High Court and the Supreme Court of India.
A copy of judgement reaches the respective police station for action against the convict. The convict was so intelligent that he used to steal the copy of the judgement before reaching the police station. Police never arrested him for his crime, and he continued to roam freely for more than 35 years.
Convict analysed the judicial system of India and was able to fool both the court as well as the police. It never happened before that a convict was sentenced to prison by the judgement, but no one arrested the convict and sent him to prison as per the judgement.
The convict was able to evade his sentence for more than 35 years. One day he ran out of luck and was finally caught by the Police thus emerged the story about fooling the entire Judicial-System for evading arrest and imprisonment.
Chapter 2
In February 2007 a middle-aged man of about fifty years was roaming in the street of a popular market of Durg, a city of Chattisgarh state of India.
He went inside a restaurant to have some food. He then steps out of the restaurant and goes to a cigarette shop, buys a packet of cigarette and smokes one of them casually and continues walking on the street of the market.
Another person standing at the cigarette shop was shocked to see this middle-aged man. He identifies this middle-aged man and wonders how he is roaming on the street; he should be behind prison bars. He starts following this middle-aged man and finds out his place of residence.
Nand Kishore Khandelwal, a resident of Durg was good in studies as a young boy but was in a bad company of friends. On the night of 31st December 1976, he along with his friend Pawan Kumar kidnapped and raped a girl.
The girl was later released with the threat that if she dares to tell anyone about this incident she and her entire family will be killed.
Chapter 3
The brave girl narrated her trauma to the family. Her family immediately informed the police and complained. Based on the girl’s declaration the police arrested both Nand Kishore Khandelwal (Nandu) and Pawan Kumar (Pappu). Police lodged a case of rape and kidnapping against these two convicts the case went to the lower court.
The laws and punishment against rape in those days of 1976 were not very strict. After filing the charge sheet, these two convicts received bail from prison.
The trial drags for years in the lower court and the two convicts remain out on bail. After about three years of trial the lower court pronounces the judgement of ten years imprisonment for both these convicts Nandu and Pappu on the allegation of rape and kidnapping a girl.
During the trial, Pawan Kumar(Pappu), health deteriorates and he dies of heart failure hence the only surviving convict was Nand Kishore Khandelwal (Nandu).
Even after the lower court gave its verdict on the case, no one came to arrest Nandu and he continued his freedom. He later challenged the judgement of the lower court and filed an appeal in Jabalpur High court.
Chapter 4
Jabalpur High court takes up the case and after six years of trial retains the lower court decision of ten years of imprisonment for Nandu.
Even after judgement from the High Court, no one arrests him and he continues with his life with freedom. By then he had attained enough knowledge about the judicial system of India.
He knew that someday this case might go to Supreme Court and all his planning may fail, so Nandu himself decides to file an appeal in the Supreme Court challenging the decision of Jabalpur High Court claiming innocence. Supreme Court of India accepts this appeal and starts trial proceedings.
On 9th Feb 1994, Supreme Court pronounces its judgement and retained the punishment of ten years for the convict Nand Kishore Khandelwal (Nandu) as pronounced earlier by Jabalpur High Court and Durg lower court for the crime of raping and kidnapping a girl.
All the three courts in their judgement pronounce ten years imprisonment for Nandu. But even after the pronouncement of judgement from the Supreme Court, no one arrests him and he roams about freely.
Chapter 5
Jabalpur High court takes up the case and after six years of trial retains the lower court decision of ten years of imprisonment for Nandu.
Even after judgement from the High Court, no one arrests him and he continues with his life with freedom. By then he had attained enough knowledge about the judicial system of India.
He knew that someday this case might go to Supreme Court and all his planning may fail, so Nandu himself decides to file an appeal in the Supreme Court challenging the decision of Jabalpur High Court claiming innocence. Supreme Court of India accepts this appeal and starts trial proceedings.
On 9th Feb 1994, Supreme Court pronounces its judgement and retained the punishment of ten years for the convict Nand Kishore Khandelwal (Nandu) as pronounced earlier by Jabalpur High Court and Durg lower court for the crime of raping and kidnapping a girl.
All the three courts in their judgement pronounce ten years imprisonment for Nandu. But even after the pronouncement of judgement from the Supreme Court, no one arrests him and he roams about freely.
Chapter 6
Slowly he understood the entire judicial process. He also analysed the chain of events that happens during judgement. Like which clerk types the judgement, how does it passed to the peon, who delivers the copy of the judgement to Police Station etc?
Based on his plan, with the contribution of the court’s staff, he steals the sealed envelope containing the copy of the court’s judgement. The court’s judgement never reached the respective police station and hence police were unaware of it. This is the reason police never arrested Nand Kishore Khandelwal (Nandu).
A few years later, he started visiting the Police Station and started making friends with the staff. He used to watch and investigate the process of transferring of case files amongst Police officials.
He knew that his crime file was present in that Police Station. Colluding with some corrupt police staff he obtained his entire conviction file from the Police Station. Police no longer have any information about his crime as the file itself disappeared.
He knew about the court’s functionality, it keeps an account of the cases that were appealed in the higher court. If the court finds his judgement and orders an investigation then he could land up in trouble. A few years later he decides to appeal against the judgement of the lower court in the Jabalpur High Court claiming innocence.
Chapter 7
The judgement of the High Court retained his imprisonment of ten years. Nandu steals the copy of the court’s judgement that was about to be delivered to the police. He was satisfied as there was no file against him in the police station, so no one would ever catch him.
He knew that the Supreme Court could verify the cases of the High Court; he could land up in trouble. A few years later, with the help of court officials, he decides to file an appeal in the Supreme Court challenging the judgement of the High Court claiming innocence.
The trial went for a few more years in Supreme Court. Six years later Supreme Court pronounced judgement retaining the imprisonment of ten years. The judgement reaches High Court, and his informer planted at the High Court informed him about the arrival of the judgement copy. He steals the sealed judgement copy. He ensured that it never reaches the Police Station.
Nand Kishore Khandelwal (Nandu) was happy about executing his plans to perfection and there are no apparent records against him. He relaxes and spends the next thirteen years of his life without being arrested by the police. He ensured that the judgement copy from all the court never reaches to its concerned authority.
Chapter 8
In February 2007, Nand Kishore Khandelwal (Nandu) was spotted and identified on the street of Durg market by one of the relatives of the victim girl. He follows Nandu to his residence where he was leading an affluent life. This relative was surprised to see Nandu roaming in the street. He then informs the media about the story of Nandu.
People from media started investigating the mystery behind Nandu. After unearthing the facts, they reported this case in their respective channels and newspaper. This case came in limelight and the police got involved and arrested Nandu. During interrogation, he revealed how he managed to escape his judgement from all the three Courts of the country for so long.
Police were baffled by the disappearance of file related to his case. They started an investigation and arrested a few of the court’s staff that were involved with him and carried out his plans. A new case was launched against him.
Taking note of his crime that happened almost thirty-one years ago, and considering his age which was more than fifty years, he was sentenced to seven years in prison. Due to his conduct, he was given mercy after five years later.
The convict evaded arrest for thirty-one years and eventually went to prison as his luck ran out after spotted by the relative of the victim. Thus Nand Kishore Khandelwal was jailed for five years and later released on mercy.
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