Court convicts five persons in a case relating to ’Immoral policing’
Mangalore Today News Network
Mangaluru, Oct 11, 2019: The Sixth Additional District and Sessions Court on Friday convicted five persons for immoral policing, where they assaulted a youth from minority community outside a mall for watching movie with a girl from majority community. The court has fined them Rs 21,000 each, defaulting which they would serve eight months of simple imprisonment.
Judge Sayeedunnisa after examining all evidences and documents, pronounced the judgement. Interestingly, complainant, who is girl, turned hostile. All the convicted were working at Forum Fiza Mall.
Those convicted are: Chethan, 23, resident of Kavoor; Rakshath Kumar, 21,resident of Nellur, Sringeri; Ashwin Raj, 21, resident of Kanduka, near DC office; Santosh Shetty, 23, resident of Inna in Karkala and Sharath Kumar, 20, resident of Carstreet.
Public prosecutor Judith O M Crasta giving out the details said the incident took place on April 4, 2016. A 21-year-old youth and 19-year-old girl from Manipal, had come to Mangaluru to watch movie together. The boy, who is a native of Udupi and girl, a student studying at Manipal had met each other on Instagram, a social media app. As they were coming out after watching movie to hire an auto-rickshaw to catch a bus and return to Manipal, five persons waylaid them. After abusing the boy for roaming with a girl from another community, they dragged him to nearby lane and manhandled him using rods and hands. The girl, immediately rushed to nearby South police station, filed a complaint. Crasta continued that victim who was traumatized, admitted to hospital next day.
South police station inspector Ananth Padmanabha filed chargesheet against five convicted. As many as 11 witnesses were examined, including FSL and circumstantial evidences and 17 documents were produced.
The court after examining, found five persons of guilty under Indian Penal Code 143(unlawful assembly), 147(rioting), 148(Rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 342 (wrongful confinement), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 324 (Voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means). Each convicted will pay fine of Rs 21,000 as fine for the offenses, defaulting which they will serve eight months of imprisonment. Out of total fine collected, Rs 50,000 is paid to victim as compensation.
Judith pointed out that since complainant turned hostile, the accused were not charged with IPC 307 (attempt to murder). If proved, they would have been awarded with life sentence.
In a similar incident that took place in 2011, several persons from minor community were convicted for assaulting a man from majority community. Victim was travelling along with a girl from a minority community to Konaje for post graduate admission, since her father was ill. The victim was dragged from bus and assaulted.
Courtesy: Times of India