MANGALURU: The Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) in Sullia has sentenced an electricity consumer to two years of simple imprisonment and imposed Rs 5,000 penalty for abusing and threatening then energy minister DK Shivakumar over phone in 2016.
Sai Giridhar Rai, a trader from Bellare in Sullia, had called the then energy minister when there was no power in Sullia on February 28, 2016. When Shivakumar asked Rai to speak to local officials, the accused verbally abused with filthy language and threatened the minister.
Further, Rai also was accused of threatening Mescom officials. Based on a complaint filed by a Mescom official on behalf of Shivakumar, the Sullia police had registered a case against Rai under IPC Sections 341 (wrongful restraint), 353 (Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 507 (criminal intimidation by an anonymous communication).
After hearing 12 witnesses and verifying relevant evidence, senior civil judge & JMFC Somashekara A on Monday sentenced Rai to jail for two years each under IPC Sections 353, 504, 506 and 507, which would go concurrently. The court also imposed a penalty of Rs 5,000 under Section 353 of the IPC on Rai and he will have to undergo simple imprisonment of one month in case of failure to pay the penalty. The accused has been granted a month’s time to appeal against the verdict. Public prosecutor Janardhana B argued on behalf of the prosecution.
Shivakumar had appeared before a court in Sullia in connection with the case on October 5, 2021.
