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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Second PUC results: Life convict clears exam with distinction, DGP lauds effort
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Bengaluru: A life convict lodged in Ballari Central Prison has successfully cleared the second PUC examination.
Ashok Kumar S, who appeared for the examination under prison escort, secured 481 marks out of 600, registering 80.1 percent.
Director General of Police (Prisons and Correctional Services), Alok Kumar (IPS), shared the development on his official ‘X’ handle, commending the inmate’s achievement.
In his post, he stated that it was heartening to see a life convict score over 80 percent in the examination, adding that the inmate had appeared from Ballari Central Prison under escort.
It’s heartening to see that one of our life convict prisoners Ashok has obtained 80.1% marks in PUC exam. He appeared under Prison escort from Ballari Central Prison for his exams.
— alok kumar (@alokkumar6994) April 9, 2026
Glad to see that Walls of the prison has not subdued his hopes for a better future. pic.twitter.com/Nzlcy076SR
He further noted that the achievement reflected that the “walls of the prison have not subdued his hopes for a better future.”
Alok Kumar in his post also shared the result sheet of Ashok.
The Karnataka School Examination and Assessment Board (KSEAB) declared the second PUC results for 2026 on April 9.
A total of 6,32,200 students appeared for the examination across all streams, of whom 5,46,698 passed, recording an overall pass percentage of 86.48 per cent.
