Silvester D’Souza
Daijiworld Media Network – Kundapur (EP)
Kundapur, Mar 31: The Udupi Pocso special court has declared accused Chandra K Hemmady guilty of sexually harassing minor boys in two separate cases at Gangolli police station.
In the first case, the convict had introduced himself to a 15-year-old boy in the school as a singer. Chandra had called the boy when he was in the playground to the toilet in the guise of giving him a bike ride and sexually assaulted him. Out of the 23 witnesses, 15 witnesses were questioned in the court.
The court declared the accused guilty on the basis of witness by the boy and circumstantial evidence. Chandra has been sentenced to 10 years rigorous imprisonment and slapped with a fine of Rs 25, 000 to be paid to the victim boy.
In another incident, the convict introduced himself to a 13-year-old boy, escorted the latter on his bike along with a friend of the victim on the pretext of clicking photographs in a cave. The accused had given a mobile phone to the friend of the victim to play. The accused escorted the boy to the cave and sexually assaulted him. A case in this connection was registered.
Out of the 22 witnesses, 14 witnesses were questioned in the court. Considering the witness of the aggrieved boy and circumstantial evidence, the court has sentenced the accused to five years of rigorous imprisonment and slapped a fine of Rs 25, 000 as compensation to the boy.
The then Byndoor CPI Parameshwar R Gunaga had submitted the chargesheets of both the cases to the court.
The sentence was pronounced by the Udupi Additional and Sessions Court, Pocso Special Court judge Ermal Kalpana. Pocso special government prosecutor Y T Raghavendra had argued on behalf of the prosecution.
As many as 21 cases were registered against the accused. Out of them the quantum of punishment was pronounced in one case earlier. This is the third case in which Chandra is sentenced. Another 18 cases are pending for hearing.