Udupi: The Principal District and Sessions Court has convicted four persons in a seven-year-old case involving caste-based abuse, verbal harassment and threats to a Scheduled Caste woman and her husband.

Principal District and Sessions Judge Kiran S Gangannavar pronounced the judgment on August 27 after hearing the case.

Woman alleged repeated caste-based harassment

The complainant, Panjima, a resident of Pragati Nagar in Alevoor village, belongs to a Scheduled Caste and had constructed a house on government land.

According to the case, Shobha and her daughter Chaitra were residing on government land adjacent to Panjima’s house. Shobha’s friend Bhaskar Shetty and Chaitra’s friend Bharat Ganiga were the other accused.

The prosecution alleged that Shobha and Chaitra repeatedly subjected Panjima to caste-based verbal abuse. They were also accused of throwing garbage, chicken bones and bottles of intoxicants in front of her house.

Panjima reportedly objected to the acts and confronted the accused. The situation allegedly escalated, with the accused using abusive and casteist language against her.

Threats allegedly issued to woman and husband

The case related to incidents reported on December 2 and 3, 2019.

According to the complaint, Panjima objected to the alleged caste-based abuse at around 8 am on December 2 and again at around 9 am on December 3.

During the dispute, Bhaskar Shetty and Bharat Ganiga allegedly threatened to kill Panjima and her husband.

Following the incidents, Panjima approached the Manipal Police Station and lodged a complaint.

The then Deputy Superintendent of Police T R Jayashankar investigated the case and subsequently filed a chargesheet against the four accused under relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Court awards imprisonment and fines

After considering the evidence and arguments, the court found the four accused guilty under various provisions.

All four have been sentenced to six months’ simple imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1,000 each under Section 504 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 3(1)(r) of the SC/ST Act.

The court ordered that those who fail to pay the fine will have to undergo an additional 15 days of simple imprisonment.

Bhaskar Shetty and Bharat Ganiga have separately been sentenced to nine months’ simple imprisonment and a fine of Rs 2,000 each under Section 506 of the IPC and the relevant provisions of the SC/ST Act.

In case of failure to pay the fine, they will have to undergo an additional 30 days of simple imprisonment.

Additional punishment under SC/ST Act

The court also imposed a further sentence of six months’ simple imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1,000 each on all four accused under other applicable provisions of the SC/ST Act.

The judgment stated that failure to pay this fine would result in an additional 15 days of simple imprisonment for each accused.

The court also directed that Rs 15,000 be paid as compensation to complainant Panjima from the fine amount recovered from the accused.

The verdict brings the proceedings in the case to a significant stage after the complaint, investigation and trial spanning several years.

Government prosecutor Jayaram Shetty represented the prosecution before the court.