Udupi: The Udupi Principal District and Sessions Court has sentenced an accused to five years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 40,000 in a 2011 case involving an assault on a jail warden and a threat to his life.
The accused, Safwan Hussain alias Razak, was an undertrial prisoner at the Udupi District Prison when the incident took place.
Warden assaulted inside prison
The incident occurred on December 3, 2011, when the jail warden was on duty in the veranda opposite the first barrack of the Udupi District Prison.
As part of taking charge, the warden instructed the inmates to proceed to their respective barracks so that their numbers could be counted.
At the time, Safwan Hussain alias Razak was standing opposite the prison kitchen. According to the case, he threatened the warden and told him, “You have gone too far; I will kill you.”
He then allegedly assaulted the warden by hitting him on the left cheek.
A case was subsequently registered at the Hiriyadka police station in connection with the incident.
Chargesheet filed in 2012
Safwan, who was in judicial custody, was arrested in connection with the case. The police later submitted the chargesheet before the court on January 10, 2012.
The accused was granted bail and released from custody on May 29, 2013. However, he subsequently failed to appear before the court during the trial and went absconding.
The case therefore remained pending for several years.
Accused produced under body warrant
After remaining absent from the proceedings, Safwan Hussain was produced before the court under a body warrant on April 23, 2026.
The trial subsequently proceeded, and the Udupi Principal District and Sessions Court pronounced its verdict on September 28.
The court sentenced Safwan Hussain alias Razak to five years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 40,000 in connection with the assault and threat case.
The verdict brings to a close a case that originated with the incident at Udupi District Prison in December 2011.