Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Feb 20: The 6th additional district and sessions court, through a verdict delivered on Friday February 19, sentenced Harish Poojary (33) from Darkhas House in Marpady village near Moodbidri to seven years of rigorous imprisonment. A fine of Rs 10,000 has also been imposed on him.

Harish was accused of raping a woman after promising to marry her. He was convicted for raping, cheating, and posing life threat.

In addition to the above sentence, Harish has also been ordered to undergo two months of simple imprisonment in case of failure to pay fine, and six months of simple imprisonment for posing life threat to the victim. Out of the above fine, Rs 8000 has to be paid to the victim, the judge has ordered.

Harish was operating his own stone quarry. He had developed closeness with a lady from his village, promised to marry her, and then had physical relationship with her. He was later charged of cheating the girl.

Poojary had come in contact with the lady for the first time when she placed an order with him for supply of laterite stones for construction of a toilet in her house. He thereafter began to call her repeatedly over phone, told her in course of time about his love for her, and then came up with proposal for marriage. The lady also said in her complaint that Poojary came to her house with a bottle of poisonous substance and threatened to consume it if she refused to reciprocate his love for her.

He then took her to a temple in his motor bike on October 21,2012, and took oath in the presence of the idol to marry her. After this she conceded to his pestering, and on their way back,he took her to Simithilpadu hillock near his quarry and raped her, she said.

As he totally forgot about the promise of marriage thereafter, she approached him on May 10,2013, with a demand to fulfill his promise. He demanded payment of one lac rupees in cash and ten sovereigns of gold to be able to marry her. He also threatened her of crushing her under his tempo if she filed police complaint. After she brought this fact to the attention of some well-wishers and school teachers,they advised him to mend his ways. As he remained stubborn, the lady filed police complaint on June 10, 2013.

Judge of the court, D T Puttaranga Swamy, who heard the case, came to the conclusion on Thursday February 18 that the charges levelled against Poojary have been proved. The accused was found guilty of rape, cheating, fraud, and posing life threat. He relied on the evidences of human rights activists, teachers, and also the medical test report on rape. Public prosecutor, Judith Olga Margaret Crasta, had placed arguments in the court on behalf of the prosecution.