Khandwa (Madhya Pradesh): Three people were sentenced to 52 days of imprisonment along with a fine by the Special Railway Magistrate Court in Khandwa for travelling without railway tickets on Tuesday.
This marks the first time the court has issued a jail term instead of only a fine in such cases.
The accused, Sheikh Zakir, Nasir, and Meenakshi, residents of Burhanpur, were found guilty under sections 145 (indecent behaviour), 146 (obstructing railway staff), and 147 (entering railway premises without a ticket) of the Railways Act.
Officials said the trio had been caught several times earlier travelling or entering railway premises without tickets but were previously let off after paying fines.
Advocate Virendra Verma stated that the court took their repeated violations and careless attitude toward the law very seriously this time.
He explained that despite being warned and fined multiple times in the past, the accused showed no change in behaviour, continuing to enter railway premises and travel without tickets.
The court, therefore, observed that imposing fines alone was no longer sufficient to stop such repeated offences.
Considering their habitual disregard for railway rules, the judge decided to impose a stricter punishment, sentencing all three to 52 days of imprisonment along with a fine.
The accused have now been sent to jail to serve their sentence.
