Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (MS)
Udupi, Mar 8: Journalist Chandra K Hemmady, who was arrested under the accusation of having unnatural sex with boys by luring them on the pretext of reporter of a daily, was sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 10,000 in the first of the 21 separate cases that are filed against him under the POCSO act.
This verdict was delivered by Justice Yadav Vanamala Anandrao, judge of fast-track special court of POCSO of district additional and sessions court here.
In this case, in which Chandra K Hemmady is sentenced, he had unnatural sex with a boy of Byndoor rural area after taking him into confidence posing as a reporter of a daily. Hemmady had asked the boy to accompany him and assist him in clicking photographs of animals, birds and school.
Following the incident, the 11-year-old victim had grown mentally upset had to be taken to counsellors in Manipal hospital where the parents came to know that he has been sexually harassed. The parents of the victim boy duly filed a complaint with Byndoor police station in November 2018 and Hemmady was arrested under the POCSO Act.
Soon after the incident came to light, many other boys informed their parents of the same kind of sexual harassment meted out on them by the accused and 21 separate cases were registered against Hemmady in various police stations including Byndoor and Kollur.
Out of the 21 cases registered against Chandra K Hemmady, he was sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 10,000 in the first case. Out of the Rs 10,000 fine, the judge has ordered Rs 5,000 to be paid to the victim and the rest to the government.
The then CPI of Byndoor Parameshwar R Gunaga had filed the chargesheet in this case. Out of the 36 witnesses, 15 had testified in front of the court including the first victim.
The special public prosecutor of the special POCSO court of Udupi, Y T Raghavendra had argued for the prosecution.