Undertrial gets six months jail for manhandling policemen

A local court has sentenced a murder case undertrial prisoner to six months of rigorous imprisonment for manhandling two police constables on the premises of Thane central jail in 2011.
Thane Chief Judicial Magistrate R M Kulkarni convicted Sajid Hamid Shaikh (29) and awarded the sentence on Saturday.
Shaikh was booked under IPC sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty). The court also imposed a fine of Rs 1,000. If the fine is not paid, he will have to spend another one month in jail.

Assistant Public Prosecutor E D Dhamal told the court in his submission that a police escort team, including the victims -- Khalil Ismail Tadvi and Sunil Parbhati Dhonde-- had taken the undertrials to the court on June 7, 2011 for hearing of cases when the incident took place.
According to Dhamal, as the accused was being handcuffed, he pushed the constable and asked 'what are you doing? Don't you know me? I have been inside the jail for the last four years. I have murdered a corporator. You seem to be new here, hence handcuffing me!'
He then slapped one police constable and kicked and punched another. After this, an offence was registered against him at Thane Nagar police station.

Dhamal told the court that such instances of police being beaten by undertrials are on the rise and the incident should be viewed seriously.