Mysuru: A Mysuru court has sentenced Babu Thomas to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 after finding him guilty of attempting to murder a man by driving a car while the victim was lying on its bonnet.

The court ordered that, in default of payment of the fine, the convict will undergo an additional one year of imprisonment.

The incident dates back to 2022 and occurred within the jurisdiction of the Narasimharaja (NR) police station. According to the case, the attack was linked to an old dispute between Babu Thomas and the victim, identified as Chandrasekhar.

Victim allegedly attacked over old enmity

According to the prosecution case, Babu Thomas attacked Chandrasekhar following a longstanding dispute between the two.

During the incident, Thomas allegedly struck Chandrasekhar with his car. As a result, Chandrasekhar fell onto the bonnet of the vehicle.

Instead of stopping the vehicle after the victim landed on the bonnet, Thomas allegedly continued driving in a dangerous manner with Chandrasekhar still on the vehicle.

The prosecution alleged that the act was carried out with an intention to cause Chandrasekhar’s death.

Car allegedly driven for 800 metres

The court heard that Chandrasekhar remained on the bonnet while the accused continued to drive the car.

According to the case details, the vehicle was driven for approximately 800 metres before Chandrasekhar was thrown or dropped from the car.

The prosecution argued that driving in such a manner despite knowing that a person was lying on the bonnet amounted to an attempt to kill him.

The incident resulted in a criminal case being registered at the NR police station.

Police conduct investigation

Sub-Inspector Jaikeerthi registered the case against Babu Thomas and proceeded with the investigation.

CPC Sivanna assisted Jaikeerthi during the investigation.

The investigating team collected the necessary evidence and subsequently submitted the case before the court for trial.

The prosecution presented the evidence and arguments to establish that the accused had acted with the intention of causing the victim’s death.

Court finds accused guilty

After examining the evidence presented during the trial, the 4th Additional District and Sessions Court found Babu Thomas guilty of the offence.

Judge Anant H pronounced the judgment.

The court sentenced Thomas to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 50,000.

The court further ordered that if the fine is not paid, the convict will have to undergo an additional one year in jail.

The judgment followed the prosecution’s case that the accused knowingly drove the vehicle while Chandrasekhar was on its bonnet, creating a serious risk to his life.

Prosecution presents case

Public Prosecutor Sudha represented the prosecution before the court and argued the case on behalf of the state.

The prosecution relied on the investigation conducted by the NR police and the evidence gathered during the investigation to establish the charges against the accused.

The court, after considering the material placed before it, concluded that the charges had been proved and delivered the conviction and sentence.

The case highlights the serious consequences of using a vehicle as a weapon during a dispute. The court’s sentence includes a substantial period of rigorous imprisonment in view of the nature of the offence established during the trial.

Judgment brings case to conclusion

The incident, which occurred in 2022, had its origins in an alleged dispute between the accused and Chandrasekhar.

The prosecution maintained that the accused did not stop after Chandrasekhar fell onto the bonnet but instead continued driving for around 800 metres, allegedly with the intention of causing his death.

Following the police investigation and subsequent trial, the court found Babu Thomas guilty and sentenced him to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment.

The fine of Rs 50,000, along with the additional one-year imprisonment in case of non-payment, forms part of the sentence announced by the court.

The judgment marks the conclusion of the trial before the 4th Additional District and Sessions Court, while the accused has been sentenced in accordance with the court’s findings.