The Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court on Thursday suspended the sentence awarded to Maharashtra Minister Yashomati Thakur for assaulting traffic policeman Ulhas Raurale for stopping her vehicle from entering a one-way lane in Amravati district on March 24, 2012.
A single judge Bench of Justice Vinay Joshi was hearing an appeal filed by the Minister for Women and Child Development and three others after a sessions court in Amravati on October 15 convicted and sentenced them to three months in jail and fined them ₹15,500 each.
Ms. Thakur, who is also the Guardian Minister of Amravati district, filed the plea through advocate Aniket Nikam, seeking suspension of her conviction. The court said, “The appellant has been awarded a sentence of three months. Having regard to the quantum of the sentence, its execution needs to be suspended.” The court has adjourned the matter to October 27.
Sessions court judge Urmila Joshi had held that Ms. Thakur and the others were guilty of beating up an on-duty policeman.
The four had been charged under Sections 353 (assault on or use of criminal force against a public servant in order to deter him from discharging his duty), 332 (causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 186 (obstructing any public servant in discharge of his public functions and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.
