A District and Sessions Court in Puttur has stayed the conviction of farmer Sai Giridhar Rai, in a case related to abusing and threatening the life of then Energy Minister D.K. Shivakumar and MESCOM officials in 2016.
The 5th Additional District and Sessions Judge, Puttur, on April 22, suspended the sentence passed by the Senior Civil Judge and JMFC, Sullia court, in the case registered against Mr. Rai. The court said the suspension order will come into effect only after Mr. Rai deposits the entire fine amount of ₹5,000 and also executes personal bond for the sum of ₹50,000.
Mr. Rai’s counsel B. Narasimha Prasad said his client has deposited the fine amount and has also executed the personal bond.
Mr. Rai was accused of calling Mr. Shivakumar on the night of February 28, 2016, and abusing him and also threatening his life for not solving the erratic power supply that had affected students and farmers of Sullia taluk. He was also accused of abusing MESCOM official Harish K. Naika and threatening his life too.
Following a complaint by Mr. Naika on the directions of Mr. Shivakumar and the then MESCOM Managing Director Chikkananjappa, the Sullia police arrested Mr. Rai late on February 28 night by entering his house through the roof in Pennaguttu of Bellare. The prosecution examined 12 witnesses, including Mr. Shivakumar, who appeared before the Senior Civil Judge and JMFC court following issuance of non-bailable warrant.
In the judgement passed on April 18, the Senior Civil Judge and JMFC, A. Somashekara, said prosecution has produced documents about Mr. Rai calling Mr. Shivakumar thrice between Feburary 27 and 28, 2016.
The Magistrate said the Minister is a public servant and whosoever abuses him and threatens him are liable to be prosecuted for provisions of Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Instead of legally fighting the issue of erratic power supply, Mr. Rai has abused and threatened the Minister and a few other MESCOM officials, the Magistrate noted.
The Magistrate sentenced Mr. Rai to two years of imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹5,000 for the offence punishable under Section 353 of IPC. He was also sentenced to two years each for offences punishable under Sections 504, 506 and 507 of IPC. All the sentences will run concurrently, the Magistrate noted.
