A Delhi court has sentenced Haryana gangster Vikas Gulia and his associate to life imprisonment under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). Additional Sessions Judge Vandana Jain delivered the sentence, although the court declined to impose the death penalty, stating that the offenses did not meet the "rarest of the rare cases" standard.

Gulia and his associate, Dhirpal alias Kana, received rigorous life imprisonment and were each fined ₹3 lakh for violating Section 3 of MCOCA, which pertains to punishment for organized crime. The prosecution had sought the death penalty, arguing that the accused had demonstrated a disregard for the law while on bail in other cases. The public prosecutor asserted that they were involved in numerous unlawful activities and showed no fear of legal repercussions, thus deserving no leniency.

The court, however, referenced a prior order from December 13, stating that a death sentence is reserved for the "rarest of rare cases" where the murder is committed in an extremely inhumane, barbarous, grotesque, or dastardly manner that outrages the community.

The court highlighted Gulia's involvement in at least 18 criminal cases and Dhirpal's connection to 10 serious offenses. It emphasized that MCOCA was enacted to address the serious threat posed by organized crime to society, which knows no territorial boundaries and is fueled by illegal wealth generated through extortion, contract killings, kidnapping for ransom, collecting protection money, and murder.

Both Gulia and Dhirpal were convicted on December 10 in connection with a case registered at the Najafgarh police station. The court found beyond a reasonable doubt that the two were carrying out continuous unlawful activities by running an organized crime syndicate with the aim of gaining financial benefits or achieving supremacy. The prosecution also demonstrated that the accused used violence, intimidation, and coercion to commit several offenses.

The court stated that testimonies from witnesses, along with corroborative evidence, led to the conclusion that the accused were operating an organized crime syndicate. While Gulia and Dhirpal were convicted under Section 3 of MCOCA, the court did not convict them for possessing unaccountable wealth on behalf of a member of an organized crime syndicate, as neither was directly found in possession of movable or immovable property.