Thane: A court in Maharashtra's Thane district has sentenced an undertrial to three years of rigorous imprisonment for abusing and manhandling policemen.
In an order issued on Friday, district and sessions judge Dr Rachna R Tehra convicted Bilal Sahi Khan under section 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and other relevant provisions of the IPC and imposed a fine of Rs 1,000 on him.
Additional public prosecutor E B Dhamal informed the court that on July 26, 2017, the complainant constable and others part of a police escort team, were taking the accused and 10 other undertrials to the court for hearing.
The police van did not have a door and window panes, as they were rusted. Hence, the constable had handcuffed the accused with another undertrial as a security measure, which angered the accused, he said.
When the undertrials were returning to Taloja jail after their hearings, the accused and another undertrial were again handcuffed, following which the accused abused and manhandled the constable and other police officers accompanying them, the lawyer said.
The judge in his order noted that a public servant while discharging his duty is often exposed to considerable risk and the law protects his official act and any obstruction made towards him is an offence.
