Absconding theft accused arrested in Sullia, court awards jail term
Sullia: Bellare police have arrested a 24-year-old man who had been absconding after being accused in a house break-in and theft case.
The accused has been identified as Sharath S from Neriya in Belthangady taluk.
The court sentenced Sharath to six months of imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 500 under Section 457 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). In connection with the theft offence under Section 380 of the BNS, the court awarded 10 months of imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 500. The court also directed that he would have to undergo an additional 10 days of imprisonment if the fine is not paid.
In a separate matter, the court also considered a case registered against Sharath under Section 269 of the BNS for remaining absconding instead of appearing before the court. In this case, the court ordered him to either undergo 10 days of imprisonment or pay a fine of Rs 1,000.
The investigation in the case was carried out by Sub-Inspector Santhosh B.P., who gathered witness statements and submitted the charge sheet before the court. Assistant Public Prosecutor Preethi M.C. represented the government during the hearing.
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EC hands over probe into gherao of seven judicial officers in Bengal's Malda to NIA
Kolkata (PTI): The Election Commission of India on Thursday handed over the probe into the gherao of the seven judicial officers in West Bengal's Malda district to the NIA, following a Supreme Court directive.
Observing that West Bengal was the "most polarised state", the Supreme Court delivered a stinging indictment of the state administration after seven judicial officers engaged in SIR exercise were held hostage by protesters in Malda district and directed a CBI or NIA probe into the incident.
In an April 2 letter to the National Investigating Agency, the poll body referred to the apex court's order and directed it to probe the Wednesday incident.
Talking to PTI, a top official of the poll body said the NIA team would reach West Bengal on Friday.
Slamming the state administration for its "complete failure" and inaction over the "deplorable" gherao and attack on the officers during the Special Intensive Revision(SIR) of the voters list, the court also asked the EC to "requisition adequate Central Forces and deploy them at all places where judicial officers are adjudicating the objections".
West Bengal will have a two-phase poll -- on April 23 and 29.
The Supreme Court further said the incident was a "brazen attempt not only to browbeat the judicial officers" but also amounted to a challenge to the authority of this Supreme Court.
The top court gave the order after it took suo motu cognisance of a letter from the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court detailing a harrowing night where the judicial officers, including three women and a five-year-old child, were held captive by a mob for over nine hours without food or water.
The incident occurred during the SIR exercise in the Kaliachowk area of Malda district, and as per the order, seven judicial officers were gheraoed by "anti-social elements" at a BDO office starting at 3:30 PM on Wednesday.
The officers were rescued by security forces around midnight on Wednesday after they were gheraoed over the alleged deletion of names from the electoral rolls, officials said.
