UDUPI: A person accused of raping a minor threw shoes at the special public prosecutor Vijay Vasu Poojary at the district and sessions court here on Thursday evening. Prashanth (32) who was sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment after charges against him was proven in the court, threw his shoes.
Prashanth was charged under sections of The Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act. As the judge, who had examined 15 witnesses in this case, was pronouncing the quantum of punishment, the accused Prashant, a resident of Keerthinagar in Aroor village of Brahmavar started abusing the special public prosecutor (SPP) Vijaya Vasu Poojary, then removed his shoes and hurled the same at the prosecutor. However the SPP escaped from being hit by the shoes. He also threatened Poojary of dire consequences.
T Venkatesh, judge of POCSO special court, had pronounced 20 years of imprisonment and slapped Rs 25,000 fine against the accused.
Prashant, the convict was angry and even went on to say that he got the punishment because of the argument placed in front of the court by the special public prosecutor. Then in the presence of police, lawyers and the judge, he dared to hurl the shoes at Vijaya Vasu Poojary.
”This is not an attack on me. This is an attack on the judicial system of this country. This incident has to be taken seriously” requested the special public prosecutor with the judge. The judge directed the superintendent of police (SP), to take suitable action.
Police officers have confiscated the shoes that were hurled by Prashanth after obtaining permission from the court.
Prashant, the convicted in the rape case, is also accused in a case of murder registered at Brahmavar police station. In addition, he has several other cases also registered against him.
Prashant had enticed a 15-year-old girl of Koteshwar on February 17, 2013 and took her to his relative’s house in Padigar near Udupi. He had sexually abused the minor girl the next day morning. A case was registered in Kundapur police station on this regard under the POCSO Act. The then circle inspector P M Divakar had submitted the charge sheet to the court after conducting inquiry. SP Laxman Nimbargi said that Udupi circle police inspector is investigating the case and Special Public Prosecutor Vijaya Vasu Poojari will be given police protection.
This is the first case of a convict hurling shoes inside the court in Udupi district in its history of 20 years.
Source – New Indian Express
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