Mumbai court sentences man to 1.7 years in jail for abusing policemen who woke him up
India Today
The Mumbai sessions court sentenced a man to 1.7 years in jail for abusing policemen who woke him up when he was sleeping on a platform in Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus. He had also used criminal force and pushed one of the police officials.
The Mumbai sessions court has sentenced a man to 1.7 years in jail for abusing policemen when he was woken up from a railway station platform in Mumbai and told to leave the premises.
On November 11, 2020, a few policemen were on patrolling duty at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT). They saw a person sleeping on platform 15. The policemen tried to wake him up and asked him to go away. However, the person shouted at them and also rushed upon him. He abused the policemen in filthy language. The person said, “Is this station your father’s? I will sleep here only, will not go from here, do what you want.”
Since the person used criminal force against a police official, he was brought to the police station, and an FIR was registered for obstructing police officials in discharging public duty. The policemen also filed a chargesheet against the accused while he pleaded not guilty and claimed to be tried.
The prosecution, in order to prove the guilt of the accused, examined five witnesses. The judge, RK Kshirsagar, saw that the evidence of all the witnesses was in tandem with each other.
“It seems that there is no enormity between the accused and the prosecution witnesses. Therefore, the question of false implications does not arise. The prosecution witnesses categorically deposed that the accused obstructed by using Criminal force. He also abused and pushed a policeman,” said the judge.
The accused then raised an objection to CCTV footage not being part of the evidence, and said that the policemen were not on duty. However, the judge said, “It can be presumed that police officers are on duty 24 hours.”
When sentencing the accused, the prosecution said that the accused was a habitual offender. The offence was committed against a public servant and therefore, a maximum punishment was imposed. However, the lawyer for the accused submitted that the accused be sentenced for the period already undergone in detention.
