In a significant ruling, the Principal Sessions Court here sentenced a 76-year-old man to 12 years rigorous imprisonment (RI) for injuring four persons, including a one-and-a-half-year-old girl child, by sprinkling acid on them during a bus journey in May last year.
Judge M.J. Shakthidharan, pronouncing the verdict, slapped a fine of Rs.40,000 on Soloman Thomas of Bheemanadi, for attacking the passengers in an inebriated condition in a bus on the Kanhangad-Kadumeni route on May 3.
The court ordered the convict to undergo an additional two-year jail term in case he defaulted the fine amount.
The court awarded the sentence under provisions of IPC Section 326-A (attempted acid throwing) rejecting the plea made by the convict.
Soloman pleaded to reduce his jail term citing failing health due to cancer and that he wanted to remain with his wife and daughter during the rest of his life. However, the prosecution challenged the plea arguing that Solaman was fully aware of the adverse consequences of mishandling the substance. Soloman was booked for series of criminal cases between 2011 and 2013.
The court ruled that it was awarding 12-year RI taking into account his age.
