Bengaluru court sentences TN man to 3 years in jail for molesting minor on flight
Bengaluru, Sept 9: A fast-track special court has sentenced a 51-year-old man from Tamil Nadu to three years of imprisonment for sexually harassing a minor girl during a Doha-Bengaluru flight.
The court also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on Ammawasai Murugesan.
The incident took place on June 27, 2023, when Murugesan, under the influence of alcohol, inappropriately touched the minor girl while on the flight. The girl’s mother objected to his actions, after which flight attendants changed their seats.
Upon landing, the girl's father reported the matter to Kempegowda International Airport police, leading to Murugesan’s arrest under Section 8 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. He was granted bail on July 27, 2023.
During the trial, the victim testified via video link as she was abroad.
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Last week, the Additional District and Sessions Fast-Track Special Court in Bengaluru Rural district found Murugesan guilty and convicted him under the POCSO Act.
The court order stated that if Murugesan fails to pay the fine, he would face an additional three months of imprisonment. Half of the fine amount -- Rs 5,000 -- is to be paid as compensation to the victim.
The court also noted that Murugesan is entitled to set off the time he spent in judicial custody from June 28 to July 27, 2023, against his sentence.
The court has granted Murugesan bail to appeal against the conviction, citing his cooperative behavior throughout the trial and regular attendance in court hearings. Under Section 389(3) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), he can remain out on bail until the appeal period expires.
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HC quashes criminal proceedings against Kannada actress Ragini Dwivedi in drugs abuse case
Bengaluru, Jan 14: The Karnataka High Court has quashed the criminal proceedings against Kannada actress Ragini Dwivedi in a drug case, saying the prosecution could not substantiate the charges with material evidence.
The bench of Justice Hemant Chandanagoudar also quashed the proceedings against the co-accused Prashant Ranka.
It said, "However, to substantiate the charges against the petitioners, the prosecution has not produced any material evidence to prove that the petitioners organized parties or sold drugs, apart from the voluntary statements of the co-accused and chargesheet witnesses."
"Therefore, the continuation of the criminal proceedings against the petitioners will be an abuse of the legal process of law,” Justice Chandanagoudar observed.
Ragini was among the many celebrities from the Kannada film industry arrested in September 2020.
A case was registered against her at the Cottonpet police station based on a statement by a co-accused B K Ravishankar on September 4, 2020.
